The company, which was founded last year, is currently crowdfunding and has called on Vigo to supply and install the equipment that will form the centrepiece of its new brewery.

Utopian Brewing has settled on a three vessel brew house from American Beer Equipment (ABE) with 12 fermentation and conditioning tanks and all associated equipment.

The design has scope for the addition of further conditioning vessels in the future to support annual production of over 16,000 hectolitres.

Richard Archer co-founder and managing director of Utopian explained: “Working with the Vigo team has been a very enjoyable process to date and I am very much looking forward to working closely with them over the next few months, and on into the future, as we embark on this next crucial stage of our development”.

Archer was ably-assisted by David and Rob Smith of Brewing Services when opting for the manufacturing partner.

He added: “The decision was not a straightforward one as we received a wide range of very strong responses, another positive sign of the strength of the independent craft brewing sector, with so many high-quality UK manufacturers and suppliers to choose from.

“In the end though we had to make a choice and the main factors that contributed to our selection were; the quality of the equipment, the long history of the company in beverage production, the flexibility and understanding demonstrated by the team and the quality of the reference visits during the selection process.

“Having the services and experience of David and Rob alongside me also proved to be a very valuable asset. As a Devon based brewery we are keen to use local suppliers wherever possible and so Vigo’s Devon base provided another bonus tick in the box.”

Utopian Brewing is currently undertaking a crowdfunding campaign to add its growth. It is currently 50% funded and is offering 19.07% equity to those taking part.

Commenting on the commission, Richard Charlton, technical sales advisor at Vigo, explained: “We are delighted to have been chosen to partner with Utopian on this exciting new project. When meeting with Richard originally, we immediately bought into his concept of a craft supplier of premium lager to the market.

“Utopian’s site is fantastic, and will allow them the space to expand as demand inevitably increases. Devon in particular, although having some top quality craft breweries, has very little of this scale so it’s great for the region to have Utopian choosing to locate here.

“Utopian’s decision to work with us, from a very competitive group of equipment suppliers, further demonstrates our growing reputation as an established supplier of equipment to the craft market.”