In August 1992, the Summer Lightning bitter brewed at Downton won the award for "Best Strong Beer" at CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) at Olympia.
Output at the Downton site was, at this time around 350 barrels a month. With a view to increasing capacity, to satisfy unfulfilled demand and to accommodate projected growth in sales, the Company acquired the lease of a second factory unit adjacent to the present brewery, for warehousing and offices.
In 1993 the Company went for expansion through the Government’s Business Expansion Scheme, raising a total of £565,000 through individual subscribers. In March of the same year the Company acquired the freehold of The Sultan in Norman Road, Merton, South West London, which started trading at the end of May.
In June of 1994 the Company took the freehold of a third factory unit at Downton (output now rising to around 500 barrels per month). This acquisition enabled the storage of more fermenting vessels, which in turn allowed the brewery to increase capacity to around 1000 barrels a month over the next year. In July, the Brewery acquired the freehold of its fourth pub, The Hop Leaf in Southampton Street, Reading, which opened in March 1995. A small court-yard at the back of The Hop Leaf allowed the installation of a small brewhouse enabling it to brew house beers on the premises from the end of March 1995.
