DISCERNING beer drinkers in East Lancashire have never had it so good, with new figures showing small independent breweries thriving in the area.

Campaigners have said the number of micro-breweries has grown recently, with brewers offering a diverse range of dozens of local ales.

The latest Good Beer Guide said 78 new breweries had opened in the last year. 767 breweries are now operating across the country, a four-fold increase over the past 30 years.

One such brewery in the Ribble Valley is the Bowland Beer Company, run by Richard Baker.

Richard, 46, who produces the beer in Bashall near Clitheroe, has seen his business rise by 20 per cent in each of the last four years, despite the recession.

His brewery was launched in 2003 with one staff member operating from a plant store room at a farm in Clitheroe.

Six full time staff members are now employed in the company's own premises.

Richard said: "I think micro-breweries are growing because they're created to cater for local tastes and are of a high quality.

"Why buy beer brewed by a big, bland national company, when you can have good local stuff?

"As people catch on to how special real ale is, the breweries can only continue to grow."

The company now supplies Michelin Star restaurants with champagne beer, using the same process as French vineyards.

Other local micro-breweries include Garthela and Three B's in Blackburn, Fallons and Hopstar in Darwen, Burnley's Moonstone and Pennine in Rossendale.

John Ingham, who runs the Rising Sun pub in Blacko and is a longstanding member of the East Lancs Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), said he felt the boom in micro-breweries had come about because the large brewing firms had moved away from real ale.

He said: "The smaller breweries are certainly filling the gap left by the global brands concentrating on the huge volume lagers and non-cask beers.

"I believe they've all but abandoned the sector, leaving it open to smaller concerns to brew quality ales.

"Since CAMRA began 40 years ago we've seen the number of independent brewers increase from around 60 to more than 700.

"We are fortunate in East Lancashire to have several hardworking and dedicated micro-breweries producing exciting beers."