WOLD Top Brewery business was founded in 2003 out of a need to diversify from traditional farming. It is a limited company and a family business that was founded by the third, and is now run by the fourth generation Mellors.

When it launched, Wold Top Brewery was brewing 1,600 litres per week with no paid staff. Now production is up to 40,000 litres (80,000 pints) per week with a staff of 18.

Its founding vision was clear: to use its home and Wolds-grown cereals and the farm’s chalk filtered water to brew Yorkshire’s best real ales and to safeguard the family farm for future generations.

“Sixteen years on, our ambition is to become the leading alcoholic drinks brand from Yorkshire and we have planned for this by succession planning, by expanding the brewery to double output and by introducing contract brewing for the bottling plant,” they say.

Succession planning has seen the promotion of fourth generation Kate’s husband, Alex Balchin to brewery manager on founder Tom Mellor’s ‘retirement’ from day to day operations. Tom passed on 15 years’ worth of experience to the next generation and the growing team.

Founders Tom and Gill Mellor handed over the reins of the brewery to daughter, Kate and son-in-law Alex in 2016 and earlier this year, Kate’s sister, Jenni, relocated from London to her Yorkshire roots to strengthen our strategic marketing capability. Kate, Alex and Jenni are all in their early thirties and have benefitted from the foresight of previous generations to trust the judgement of the latest generation and their confidence in the trio’s ability to drive the business forward.

Over the last three years, it’s grown turnover by 33 per cent, profit by 20 per cent and have employed an additional four members of staff. Exports account for 20per cent of the business and it's proud to export beer to five countries.

Closer to home, the firm which is up for Family Business of the Year has secured business regionally with most of the major supermarkets and nationally via Marks and Spencer.

The add: “Our business ethos is to produce consistently good beer, using predominantly home grown ingredients, for a sustainable future for the fifth generation – Kate’s daughters, Beth and Tilly and Jenni’s son, Arthur.”