SPITFIRE ale took off last year as a national favourite with beer drinkers.

Sales of the Faversham-brewed brand fizzed in the 12 months to June 29 with a heady 30 per cent increase.

Spitfire was one of the fastest growing premium cask ales in the UK and, along with Bishops Finger, was among the nation's top six bottled premium ales.

Spitfire's popularity helped 300-year old brewer Shepherd Neame to enjoy the 27th consecutive year of growth, putting it on target to become the UK's top specialist brewer.

It hopes to boost Spitfire sales even more with a television advertising campaign in the run-up to Christmas.

Beer production went up six per cent as the brewer sold more than 62 million pints. Sheps also brews a number of foreign brands under licence, including Holsten Export, Hurlimann Sternbrau and Orangeboom Pilsener.

Sheps' turnover went up 10.5 per cent to £78.8 million, with pre-tax profits up 2.1 per cent to £8.4m. The company employs around 1,000 people.

Company chairman Bobby Neame singled out the managed pubs for special praise, saying they had made a "substantial contribution" as turnover rose 21.4 per cent.

Jonathan Neame, managing director, said: "Although the UK economic outlook is uncertain, we believe we are in an excellent position to grow our brans and become the leading specialist brewer in the UK."

The company said property profits were considerably lower than the previous year when proceeds were buoyed by a windfall from the sale of former allotment land at Preston, near Faversham.

Sheps invested £13m, including £9m on expanding and improving pubs. It has 294 tenanted pubs and 69 managed pubs, disposing of 10 poor performers during the year.

New pubs prospered. The Spitfire at Kings Hill, West Malling, and Manor Farm Barn, Southfleet, both traded well, and the company said there were good returns from The Ship and Trades, Chatham, and The Wharf , Dartford.

Sheps said it had identified "a number of sites suitable for further new builds as the Channel Tunnel rail link improves Kent's infrastructure."

The company will pay a final dividend 12p, making a total of 15.225p for the year, up 5.7 per cent.

Meanwhile, Sheps, which fought the Government's penny-on-a-pint duty increase through the courts, has taken up another challenge.

This time it is opposing plans to transfer licensing from magistrates to local authorities. The company said: "Replacing impartial magistrates with local political control will benefit no-one and could give rise to political interference, as well as increasing bureaucracy and cost."