Have you heard the one about the accountant, the Afghanistan veteran and the South African IT expert who started a brewery?

This is not a joke.

Instead it is the incredible back story to one of Sussex’s newest breweries, Franklin’s in Bexhill.

Vikki Boundy and her soldier husband Paul teamed up with Vikki’s sister, Anna Dole, and her South African husband Garry to set up their own brewery despite none of them having a background in brewing.

In their first year the company, which brews eight beers under the name Franklins and Edge, has won contracts to supply Wetherspoons and Punch Taverns.

Mrs Boundy said: “There were lots of reasons for us starting up now but part of it was because the sale of real ale is increasing.

“We had a contract supplying chilli beer to BHS which was very successful.”

Franklin’s is one of two breweries that has opened in the county within the last 18 months.

Its arrival, alongside Hastings Brewery, takes the total number of Sussex drink manufacturers to 23.

Real ales have been booming in recent times with more than half of UK drinkers trying real ale – up 40% in the last five years.

Four Sussex brewers, 1648 from East Hoathly, near Lewes, Franklins, Harveys and Rother Valley, were selected for last week’s Great British Beer Festival for the country’s top firms.

Two of the county’s biggest names, Dark Star and Harveys, can now reach thousands of new customers after being installed in Brighton and Hove Albion’s new stadium.

James Cuthbertson, of Dark Star, which produces 24 ales throughout the year, said; “It’s brilliant for us to be in the new stadium not least because we reach away fans who may not be familiar with us.” The company now produces 3.5 million pints a year - more than double the rate of two years ago - and has requests to supply pubs as far away as Scotland.

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