A FINANCIAL expert who has worked for top brands in the retail sector is joining a brewery company in Cornwall.

Don Davis, who has more than 30 years of retail experience, will be the new chief financial officer for St Austell Brewery.

The business, which operates across the Westcountry and has its headquarters in St Austell, focuses on brewing, hospitality and drinks wholesaling.

Don has most recently worked for women’s clothing brand Hush. Prior to that, he held a number of senior finance roles, including finance director at global online retailer ASOS and at Homebase.

It was announced in March that current St Austell Brewery chief financial officer, Colin Stratton, will be stepping down from his role at the family-owned business at the end of this year.

Colin, who has been with St Austell Brewery for 29 years, will retain his current responsibilities as company secretary on a part-time basis until he fully retires at the end of 2027.

Kevin Georgel, chief executive of St Austell Brewery, said: “After an extensive search for our new chief financial officer, we’re delighted to welcome Don to the business.

“His significant financial and operational experience, gained in a number of high-profile retail brands and growth-focused companies, will add significant value.

“As a business, we continue to make good progress against our strategic plans, and we remain firmly on a growth trajectory. As such, I am looking forward to working with Don as the latest addition to our executive team and I am confident that Don’s wealth of experience and strong cultural fit will ensure that he will make a significant contribution in the ongoing development and growth of the company.”

Kevin added: “Colin has been a mainstay at the business for almost three decades, and we would like to thank him for his significant contribution over his many years of dedicated service. We are grateful that we will be retaining his extensive knowledge of the business for a further two years.”

Don said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining an independent, family-owned business with an admirable track record. As well as having a clear and compelling growth strategy, St Austell Brewery’s most recent financial results demonstrate continued momentum, and I look forward to working with Kevin and the team and playing a significant role in shaping the company’s next chapter.”

Meanwhile, St Austell Brewery has partnered with London-based Toast Brewing to create a limited-edition beer made using surplus bread.

Breakfast Club is a 4.5 per cent golden ale with a sustainable twist. It has been brewed using British Harlequin and Jester hops, alongside Toast’s surplus breadcrumb.

Toast sources surplus breadcrumb from bakeries across the UK, turning what would normally be wasted into another product. Each pint of Breakfast Club contains the equivalent of a quarter of a slice of bread.

Toast uses surplus bread to replace some of the barley. Toast says it has saved so many slices of bread since 2016 that, stacked together, they would reach more than five times the height of Mount Everest.