OKEHAMPTON’S local MP has welcomed the recent news that a brewery is opening every other day in Britain.

In the South West alone, more than 40 new breweries have opened since July 2013 creating hundreds of new jobs. The story is the same across the rest of the country, leading to thousands of new jobs and a multi-billion pound boost to the economy.

Central Devon MP Mel Stride said: ‘The news that so many new breweries are opening across the country is excellent. It shows that there is a lot of confidence in the sector, spearheaded by this government’s lowering of beer duty, knocking 1p off the price of a pint year on year. If we want rural breweries and pubs to flourish, we must continue along this path.’

Mr Stride has previously been given the ‘Beer Champion’ award from the British Beer and Pub Association, Campaign for Real Ale and the Society of Independent Brewers for his hard work in parliament campaigning against beer duty. Across the whole of Britain there are now 1,400 breweries, up from just over 1,000 in 2013. As a result of this the beer and pubs sector is now responsible for 869,000 jobs in Britain.