A GROWING brewery is looking to expand or relocate after outgrowing its current home.

Titanic Brewery is operating at full capacity at its Callender Place base in Burslem.

The firm is in negotiations with Stoke-on-Trent City Council about either moving to a new site or expanding through a remodelling of the Callender Place industrial estate.

But directors say they are aiming to stay loyal to Burslem if they do end up having to move.

Managing director Keith Bott bought Titanic with his brother Dave from the receivers in 1988.

It now employs 20 people at Callender Place and a further 130 at its six North Staffordshire pubs. Production has risen from just seven barrels a week to around 2.3 million pints of beer a year. Keith said: "When we moved into our current home in 2002, I said at least we won't have to move again as I thought it was plenty big enough.

"In some ways it would be better to stay where we are because it would be less disruptive, but we need to make sure we've got somewhere that's big enough for our long-term growth.

"In the last three years our workforce has gone from 30 or 40 to 150, and we've taken on three more people at the brewery this year.

"We're very conscious of the potential for growth, but at the same time we don't want to bite off more than we can chew.

"If we do move, ideally we'd like to stay in Burslem, but we'd need to find the right site."

Keith bought Titanic Brewery at the age of 21, having worked for the previous owner, John Pazio.

As recently as 2007, Titanic had just one pub but has now opened its sixth, the Roebuck Hotel in Leek. Its other venues are the Bulls Head, in Burslem, the Greyhound, in Newcastle, the White Star, in Stoke, the Royal Exchange, in Stone, and the Sun Inn, Stafford.

Keith, who is chairman of the Society of Independent Brewers, said the firm is keen to expand the pub side of its business too.

He said: "We have been opening pubs against a background of closures. But there is no magic formula; we pride ourselves on creating welcoming pubs which sell good local produce and are used by customers of all ages."

Councillor Mark Meredith, city council cabinet member for economic development, said: "The council's inward investment team is working closely with Titanic to provide support on current opportunities.

"The team is dedicated to providing a red carpet service to any business looking to benefit from the variety of opportunities available in the city."