A craft beer brand has taken the unusual step of declaring itself the first-ever sponsor of the wine harvest.

The Curious Brewery, owned by Tenterden wine-maker Chapel Down, will provide grape-pickers across the UK's leading vineyards with thousands of bottles of one of its lagers. It will also distribute them in the Sainte Rose vineyard in France - an estate owned by Simpsons which also has vineyards near Canterbury.

The firm is currently constructing a £1.3m brewery in Ashford, close to the international station, which it hopes will become a major attraction.

Its harvest 'sponsorship' is designed to cement its branding of being a 'beer inspired by winemakers'.

This year's grape harvest has certainly been a good one in Kent - one of the biggest producers in the country of wine. The heatwave ensured sugar levels in the grapes were good and producers have reported one of their best ever crops in terms of both quality and quantity.

Curious Brewery managing director, Gareth Bath, said: “Curious Brew uses Bacchus wine yeast, which echoes the notes of some of the country’s finest wines, hence our thrill at becoming the first sponsor of the wine harvest.”