A fast-expanding Cornish brewery has exceeded £4 million sales for the first time in 2011.

Skinner’s Brewery’s best-ever year has seen turnover rise by around 12 per cent, partly through another increase in activity nationwide.

Chief Executive Steve Skinner attributes the record year to his team.

“Our 30 strong team have worked enormously hard to win this success. Their commitment and dedication is absolutely outstanding, I am extremely proud of our staff.”

The team effort has produced great results for the Truro-based brewery, despite the tough economic climate.

“Over the last three years, we have achieved a very exciting breakthrough in sales at national level. Since mid-2009, our ales have been on sale at all Waitrose’s UK stores and we are now also selling in around a quarter of all Tesco’s UK stores. In addition, we have our pre-existing national arrangements through Coors and Wetherspoons,” said Mr Skinner.

He added: “These developments have convinced us that we still have a long way to go in terms of tapping our full potential at national level rather than just in our traditional Cornish ‘home territory.’

“Our best-seller, Betty Stogs, was judged Champion Best Bitter of Great Britain in 2008. This led to a sustained higher profile for that product in particular and we feel the time is right now to ‘go for it’ on the bigger stage.”

The Betty Stogs brand is now fronting an expanded sales and marketing campaign, with the ‘Betty’ imagery adorning specially adapted vehicles now in use by newly-appointed sales representatives covering Devon, Bath and Bristol. These representatives are the first to be based outside Cornwall for the company.

Betty Stogs accounts for around 60 per cent of Skinners’ turnover, of which approximately 25 per cent is outside Cornwall.

“Our national success is extremely encouraging, but the lion’s share of our sales remains here in Cornwall,” said Mr Skinner. “We are a truly Cornish company and this is where our main focus will continue.”

Last year Skinner’s increased storage capacity by 50 per cent when it acquired an adjacent site previously occupied by Truro Farm Machinery and withdrew from “satellite” locations at Chacewater and Devoran.