The Scottish brewing industry has been boosted by legislation which promoted the growth of microbreweries, it has been claimed.
In 1970, there were just 11 breweries in Scotland, but this figure has increased rapidly in the past 40 years, with 56 Scottish-owned breweries currently operating in the country.
Chris Mair, writing for the scotsman.com, expressed his belief that "it was a change in government policy which acted as a catalyst for change in the domestic beer industry."
In 2002, Gordon Brown introduced Progressive Beer Duty, which offered breweries a 50 per cent reduction in beer duty if they produced less than 5,000 hectolitres of beer.
The new legislation has allowed smaller firms to thrive as costs are reduced, while production is likely to increase overall as companies stay in business for longer.
Jim Darroch, Edinburgh representative of the Campaign for Real Ale, told the news provider: "The signs are encouraging as those currently trading appear to have achieved a greater staying power [than larger breweries in the past]."
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the brewing industry includes; elevators – bucket elevators – valves
