An old type of ale which dates back to the time of the Vikings has been created by a finance firm.

Exeter and Ipswich based Hawksmoor Investment Management has created its own beer which it claims is the first stone brewed ale in Britain for 100 years.

Dan Constable, Hawksmoor's head of business development, tasked Briarbank Brewery's master brewer Andrew Harvey with the challenge of creating a stony taste to match the firm's architecturally themed branding.

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Mr Harvey suggested a stone brewed ale of a type that ceased production in the UK in 1890.

Briarbank modified its equipment to accommodate the archaic process of adding hot stones to a bubbling wort to create a fruity, complex ale, with a smoky caramel flavor.

Hawksmoor chief executive John Crowley said: "I suppose it's quite unusual for a firm like us to go into the brewing business but our clients certainly like it."