BREWERIES across North Yorkshire are reporting expansion plans as the industry enjoys its “most exciting time in the last 100 years”.

So far this year four breweries in the region have invested in physical expansion projects as demand for their beer continues to rise.

Malton-based Bad Seed has taken over a neighbouring unit at York Way Industrial Estate to make way for more brewing equipment having already sold its next two brews before even putting them into production.

Brewery director Chris Waplington said: “We are now getting orders for our third brew, so it has been a juggling act producing that alongside our other one-off brews.

“Expanding into another unit will give us more storage and eventually room for more fermenters, which will increase our brew capacity.

“At the moment, we can only make 15 casks at a time, and they sell incredibly quickly. We do six brews a week, but even that’s not enough to meet demand.”

Mr Waplington said the beer industry is currently “the most exciting it has been for at least 100 years”.

As Bad Seed expands its premises, production is now under way at the Great Yorkshire Brewery’s new site in Cropton, near Pickering, following a seven-figure investment.

The £1.3 million venture has enabled the brewery to produce three times the volume of ale it brewed at its previous site.

Co-director Phil Lee said: “Cropton Brewery began in my family so it makes me feel proud to see the new building up-and-running, on the very same site it began. It’s come a long way.”

Directors now hope to push export sales for Great Yorkshire beer having already secured supply deals to China and Japan.

In Ellerton, near York, Half Moon Brewery has commissioned a a second fermenter.

The micro-brewery, which was founded in December 2013, saw the 2014 festive season bring its biggest ever month of trading.

Co-director Jackie Rogers said: “Previously we only had one fermenter, which meant we could only do one brew a week. We now have the capability to brew twice a week; it’s doubled our capacity.

“It was always our plan to extend and expand, but we didn’t know when that would be.

“We are delighted to have been in this position after only one year of brewing.”

Also doubling its brewing capacity is Wold Top Brewery, Driffield, which started 2015, enabling it to now contract brew for other breweries.