A NORTH Yorkshire brewery has signalled its intention to triple its growth.

Daleside Brewery, of Camwal Road, Harrogate, wants to increase annual turnover from £1 million to £3 million through product development and an overhaul of its image.

It has called on Business Link York and North Yorkshire for help and advice to achieve its aim within three years.

Eric Lucas, the brewery's sales and marketing director, said: "To achieve the level of growth that we think is possible in the medium term, we realised that we have to introduce a new product strategy.

"We want to move away from being seen as a niche brewer of quirky guest beers and re-position ourselves as a serious player in the brewing sector."

Business Link York and North Yorkshire has provided the brewery with the specialist help and advice it needs to undergo a special programme involving the application of design to product development, manufacturing and packaging.

The programme is run in association with the Design Council, Yorkshire and Humber Regional Food Technopole and the Yorkshire Pantry consortium. Steering the brewery through it will be Business Link's design adviser Gareth Barber plus Duncan Yellen, a product development specialist from the consultancy EnvirosMarch.

The design-led strategy involves the introduction by Daleside of new cask and bottled beers, with promotional materials, for sale through pubs and supermarkets.

Daleside Bitter has been launched as a "session beer" with the aim of becoming a regular rather than a guest beer in pubs across the region. A bottled version is planned.

A further bottled beer, designed to appeal to female customers, is also being developed with the help of feedback from focus groups.