FAMOUS Manchester music venue The Academy is looking on the bright side — thanks to a family-run Radcliffe brewery.

For the aptly-named Brightside Brewing Company has been involved in creating an exclusive beer which is being promoted as part of the Academy's 25th anniversary celebrations.

The Academy is the brand name of the University of Manchester students' union for its four concert venues and it is fitting that one of those heavily involved in the brewing of the Academy IPA (4.4 per cent) ale is former student Carley Friedrich, Brightside's director of sales and marketing.

She said: "We've been working with the Manchester Academy for around a year now, and it has been an extremely positive partnership.

"From their point of view, they like to support local businesses, especially those with good ethical practices.

"From our side, Manchester Academy have been the perfect customer. Aligning ourselves with them has given us access to a very broad range of beer drinkers as their gig schedule is so diverse. Plus, we have access to all the students visiting the union bar.

"The people who try our beer there will then, hopefully, go on to buy it in shops or in their local pub when they see it on the taps.

"It also gives us a certain level of reputation and quality guarantee in the eyes of the public as such an established institution wouldn't work with a company such as ours without the product and service being good."

Added Carley: "Working with accounts like the Academy has been instrumental in our expansion. We have two new fermenting vessels on order for delivery in May which will take us to a capacity of about 8,000 litres which is pretty much the maximum we'll want to be brewing at least for the time being."

A spokesman for Manchester Academy said they have always been a "staunch supporter" of real ale and wanted to create their own beer.

They felt it only right to select Brightside whose "Manchester Skyline" and "Our Town" beers are already stocked in the Academy venues.

The spokesman added: "The Academy team and Brightside eventually decided on a blend of four fruity American hops to create a zingy, easy-drinking beer. After brewing, the Academy IPA was bottled, casked and labelled at Brightside's brewery."

The brewery was set up by Neil and Maxine Friedrich, in partnership with their children Lance and Carley.

The Radcliffe couple ran Charnwood Foods bakery in Walshaw for 28 years before turning their hands to developing cask-conditioned real ales in 2010 and moving to dedicated premises in 2013.