Midland-based Holdens brewery is expanding to take advantage of the growing taste for British ale in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Production is increasing by a third at the Dudley firm as part of a renewed wave of interest in British products in the Far East and in Japan particularly.
Managing director Jonathan Holden, whose sisters Lucie and Abi are also directors of the company, said: “The market for British ale in Japan is thriving and that’s something we’re looking to capitalise on.
“We’ve been looking into exporting our products over there for a while but got our first order of around 10,000 units three weeks ago.
“We’re very excited, and it’s a great way to build foundations for years to come.”
Holdens plans to increase ale production from 50,000 to 75,000 pints per week to meet the demands of their new customers.
Work has already begun on renovating its brewery, including the building of a new bottle store, and larger offices at the HQ in Woodsetton.
Earlier this month, St Albans-based Premier Foods said it had agreed to sell it’s Sarsons, Haywards pickled onion and Dufrais vinegar brands to Japan’s Mizkan Group for £41 million.
And in May, Chinese company Bright Food acquired control of UK breakfast cereal maker Weetabix in a deal which valued the brand at £1.2 billion, including debt.
The Holdens name became associated with the brewing trade in 1898 when Edwin Holden married Lucy Blanche and her father persuaded them to take on the tenancy of a pub.
More than a century later, the firm’s tied estate now stands at 20 pubs.
