ONE of North Yorkshire’s renowned breweries is producing an exclusive beer for another brand for the first time.

The Masham-based Black Sheep Brewery has partnered with the national pub operator Ember Inns for the new brew, which is being served across its 147 UK pubs.

Ember Inns Pale Ale is the first beer Black Sheep has brewed exclusively for another brand and will see the brewery produce around a million pints a year.

Black Sheep marketing director Jo Theakston said: “This is a significant agreement for Black Sheep Brewery, which reflects our growing market reputation and our commitment to genuine quality cask beer.

“It’s been an exciting process bringing this to life with the Ember Inns team, a real collaborative effort and we are delighted to be given the opportunity in delivering a million pints a year for the brand.”

Ember Inns’ operations director David Briggs added: “We’re always looking for innovative ways to develop our offer, and with our reputation for serving quality ale, the partnership with Black Sheep was a natural next step.

“The brew has been shaped by the Black Sheep and Ember team, using in-depth knowledge of our guests and their tastes.”