Wells & Young's is hoping to create a super-premium category within the ale sector by repositioning three of its beers in a new range.

It has also been awarded the right to include the Red Tractor food assurance mark on its flagship Young's Bitter brand, which signifies the beer has been made using UK farmed ingredients.

Young's Bitter and Young's Special London Ale, which have been relaunched as bottle-conditioned beers with redesigned packaging, are in the premium range as is a new addition, Young's Kew Gold.

The launch comes in response to a consumer shift towards more premium products, indulgence and quality, said Chris Lewis, director of marketing. "This is a new sector in premium bottled ales, consisting of ales made from the highest-quality ingredients and bottle-conditioned," he said. "These beers will be able to demand premium prices, which drive category value and further unlock potential of this diverse category."

The inclusion of the red tractor badge on Young's Bitter, the first major beer to receive the quality assurance mark, was another opportunity to drive value, said Lewis.

"It's important that we work with our farmers and suppliers and know the exact source of our raw materials. Young's Bitter is unique in the beer world and we are proud of this position," he said.

In February Assured Foods Standards (AFS), the agency behind the logo, allowed the National Farmers' Union to use the mark on Farmers Harvest, a beer brewed to commemorate its centenary.

"Wells & Young's is one of the leading suppliers of speciality beers in the UK and we welcome their commitment to the Red Tractor scheme," said chairman of the AFS, Jonathan Tipples. "The Red Tractor logo will give consumers complete confidence in the standards of production upheld by the scheme."

The Red Tractor now appears on £7bn+ worth of fresh food and drink in the UK and more than 74 businesses have signed up including Dairy Crest, Nestlé and Bernard Matthews.

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