A Scottish brewer is toasting a major deal that will see its sour beer sold across the country in the UK’s biggest supermarket chain.

Vault City Brewing’s four-packs of Strawberry and Peach are now available in 650 Tesco stores across the UK.

The deal is set to help the firm pass £3 million turnover for the first time this year, which is an almost 50 per cent increase year on year.

Steven Smith-Hay, Vault City Brewing founder, said he has been boosted by supermarkets’ desire to diversify their alcohol range, and interest from overseas.

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“As a small, independent craft brewer, we’re so proud to see our product stocked on the shelves in so many different Tesco supermarkets up and down the UK,” he said. “We’re still a small team and it gives all of us so much faith in our product and all the hard work we put in to have landed such a significant deal.”

He continued: “Tesco’s investment in our Strawberry and Peach sour beer proves the appetite for craft beer across the country continues to grow. This is a huge opportunity to get Vault City into the hands of lots more people.

“The news last year following the mini budget did not paint a pretty picture for beer sales in 2023, and like most breweries we found ourselves preparing for the worst.”

Vault City has also made a shift to a four-day working week.

READ MORE: Brewer ramps up investment as demand for its sour beer soars

The Edinburgh beer producers made national headlines after becoming the first brewer in the UK to formally adopt a four-day working week in January last year.

A reduction in working hours by 20% has coincided with business growth of approximately 50%, as well as improved staff productivity, mental health and overall happiness.

Mr Smith-Hay said: “Obviously decreasing work hours is a huge commitment for a small business to make, however we’ve always believed work-life balance should be a big part of our culture and something worth striving for."

READ MORE: Edinburgh's Vault City Brewing opens bar in Portobello

He added: “After successful trials, we made the permanent switch at the start of last year and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. More staff are able to spend time with their families, switch off and prevent burnout.

“The last 12 months has been a significant period of growth for the business and we firmly believe the four-day workweek played a huge part in that.”

Mr Smith-Hay, 32, started brewing sour beer from his home as a hobby before launching Vault City in 2018.

The business, which specialises in heavily fruited, modern sour beers - with flavours such as Mango Banana Coconut Crumble, Iron Brew and Raspberry Roulade - has since become one of the UK’s best-selling sour beer brands and the biggest in Scotland.

The firm’s turnover now exceeds £3.1 million, allowing for significant funds to be used towards growth: its fermentation capacity from 26,000 litres to 105,000 litres with the addition of ten new tanks, while its team of 19 people is expected to grow to more than 25 this year.