THE award-winning Dartmoor Brewery has attracted a senior figure within the industry to join its ranks as it gears up for the next phase in its expansion.

The brewery, based in Princetown, has appointed Kevin Georgel, 41, the former Coors executive and current managing director of tenanted pub group Admiral Taverns, to its board.

The owners of the brewery, which at almost 1,400ft above sea level is thought to be the highest in England, have asked Georgel to help it capitalise on the increasing popularity of its award-winning beers as it looks to expand beyond its Devonshire heartland.

The business, which was established in 1994, is already one of the larger brewers in the South West region. It is jointly owned by founder Simon Loveless and publishing and leisure entrepreneur Philip Davies, who also serves as chairman. He said of the appointment: 'I am delighted that Kevin has joined the Dartmoor Brewery board — he brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience and this valuable addition to our team sends out a clear message that we want to be a serious force in West Country brewing.'

In addition to working with Mr Davies and his fellow board colleagues on strategic direction, it is thought that Mr Georgel, who lives locally, will also help the company with the immediate challenge of identifying a suitable managing director that can lead the group's ambitious development plans.

He told the Times: 'I am very excited to be joining Dartmoor at this stage in its development. It's a fabulous business that produces a range of excellent beers, spearheaded by the outstanding Jail Ale, and I am looking forward to working with the team to grow its market share, both locally and farther afield, in what is clearly a very dynamic and competitive beer market.'

The company's beer production at Dartmoor is overseen by head brewer Mike Lunney.

Its flagship brew Jail Ale has won countless awards while its Legend ale was recently singled out for a three-star gold accolade at the national Great Taste Awards‚ dubbed the food and drinks industry 'Oscars'.