THE man behind a leading Stroud brewery has pledged that none of his beers will ever appear in major supermarket chains.

Greg Pilley, who owns Stroud Brewery, is making the stand because he claims cheap supermarket beer is the biggest threat to the traditional British pub, as well as being a chief cause of binge-drinking.

"It may mean that I miss out on a big market but I've made a conscious decision not to sell our beer to the big supermarkets," he said.

"I do not wish to undermine my core business, which is through local pubs. These places are often the hearts of villages. I want to see that tradition continue."

Last month Stroud Brewery won The Campaign for Real Ale's Gloucestershire champion beer award for the second time.