HARRIETT Baldwin dropped into the Friday Beer Company in Malvern to raise a glass to its future success.

Her visit followed the news the brewers in the Link Business Centre are using crowd funding website CrowdCube to raise £150,000 to fund the first phase of a two-phase growth plan. The company was founded in 2011 by three former QinetiQ scientists who took brewing courses to learn a new skill and their business has proved so successful it now ships bottled beers to more than 50 outlets, including the world-famous Harrods store.

Mrs Baldwin, who is MP for West Worcestershire, said: "Malvern has always been famous for its brilliant brains so it is great to see our scientists using their skills in other ways. The company already has a great customer base but it has ambitious plans to expand and take on more people. I look forward to helping to spread the word about The Friday Beer Company and hope that we soon see Malvern beer for sale in outlets across the globe.”

One of the three Friday Beer Company founders Gerald Williams added: “We are really grateful for the support that Harriett is giving us. The Friday Beer team are confident that our product can generate strong sales across the UK and abroad”