TOYOTA'S fleet executives are raising a glass to employees at UK brewer Carlsberg-Tetley who have made the manufacturer their most popular choice.

The Toyota Avensis is currently the top choice among managers in the field and the company has been offering staff the chance to contract-purchase their own cars under an employee car ownership scheme operated since the end of 2002 by its fleet management partner LeasePlan.

In May this year, Toyota was selected as one of the three preferred brands for the 550 Carlsberg-Tetley sales staff who qualify for company cars. The other makes are Vauxhall and Renault.

'We like the range Toyota offers,' said Carlsberg-Tetley HR specialist Julian Daley, who co-ordinates the scheme. 'With the employee car-ownership scheme it's up to staff to decide which car they want to go for, and with Toyota they have a positive choice, everything from a Yaris right up to a Land Cruiser. It's probably one of the most extensive ranges there is. Drivers have been particularly impressed by the new Avensis.'

Staff at the country's fourth largest brewery cover an average of about 30,000 miles a year and acquire their cars on two, three and four-year replacement cycles.

Jon Pollock, general manager of Toyota Fleet, said: 'We were gratified that Carlsberg-Tetley included Toyota as part of its triple-badge policy and even more to find that current demand for our cars among its employees is so positive.'