Great British Drinks Company has stepped in to rescue Yorkshire-based Black Sheep Brewery in a £6.5m restoration deal.

The move by the newly formed drinks group will see it acquire Black Sheep Brewery and invest more than £2m to return the business to growth.

The deal is set to safeguard 145 jobs and secure the future of several well-known British beer brands, such as Purity Brewing Co, Brew By Numbers, Brick Brewery, North Brewing Company, Magic Rock Brewing and Fourpure Brewing Co.

The acquisition, valued at around £4.5m, will preserve three heritage brewery sites across the North of England. Combined sales across the group total £28m, giving the business what it described as a strong financial platform for long-term investment.

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Black Sheep will sit alongside Saltaire Brewery under the Great British Drinks Company, which was created with “a mission to protect, restore and revitalise iconic British regional beer brands”.

“Our approach is to ensure each brewery and its brands maintain their distinctiveness and independence, that only comes from the people and places involved, not through consolidation,” said Great British Drinks Company co-founder Sunny Sharma.

“Our ethos is one of stewardship.”

Co-founder Ravi Sharma added: “This isn’t just a restoration deal it’s about restoring pride to Yorkshire. The region has a proud brewing heritage, and we could not stand by and let that be lost.”

Founded in 1992 by Paul Theakston in Masham, North Yorkshire, Black Sheep Brewery is one of the region’s best-known brewers and also holds licences for brands including Hofmeister and Sassy cider.