A BREWERY is living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

For Moorhouse's, which has been producing ales in the shadow of Pendle Hill since 1865, is taking on the new boys at their own game as the cask ale phenomenon continues the grow.

And under the leadership of managing director Lee Williams, the company is modernising its image ready for the new challenges.

Producing 100,000 pints a week from its Accrington Road base, Moorhouse's is embracing the challenge of the micro pub and brewery boom.

Mr Williams joined the firm 12 months ago and set about changing the look and feel of the company.

He said: “It was tough when I first joined the company. We had to refocus on what we were good at. Sadly, we had to make some redundancies but we had to cut our cloth and make ourselves commercially viable.

“That included a new look. We’ve rebranded and removed the sexist iconography from our pump clips and labels to position ourselves with a new attitude in the market place.

“I presented the brewers with a challenge to show what they could do, as they have more experience between them than some new brewers have been in operation, and they have met those challenges.

“They have produced two fantastic new ales, Malkin and Sabbath Flight, in response to what the customer is demanding, which has seen an upturn in sales.

“We’re doing a special ale for the royal wedding and there’s plans to celebrate Burnley qualifying for Europe.

“There’s still a lot of hard work to do but we have a very loyal customer base and we are adapting to the way people are spending their leisure time.”

The firm has increased its research and development capabilities with some smaller equipment for the brewers to try and different ingredient combinations.

Mr Williams said: “Malkin and Sabbath Flight started life in the experimental phase and it’s a fantastic way for the brewers to try new things. The market is ever-changing so this new equipment gives us scope to try new things.”