THE thirst of US drinkers for the Geordie favourite Newcastle Brown Ale helped push sales up at Scottish and Newcastle.

The beer saw double-digit sales growth in the US, which S&N said was well ahead of the export market.

The brewing group, which owns the Tyne and Federation breweries in Newcastle and Gateshead, reported a five per cent jump in summer sales for its UK business - despite poor summer weather and weaker off-licence trade following Euro 2004.

This improvement was achieved even though S&N resisted the temptation to cut prices over the summer in a bid to stimulate more demand for its beer and cider brands.

Poor weather in Europe also affected trading with volumes in France markedly lower during July and August than a year ago, although growth was seen in Portugal and Belgium.