December 21st, 2010, VANCOUVER, B.C.
– ASHBURTON VENTURES INC.
(ABR-TSX:V) (ARB-FRANKFURT)  (“Ashburton”
or the “Company”) is very pleased to welcome Mr. Stephen McGibbon, of
Premier Gold Mines Ltd. (PG-TSX), to its Technical Advisory Board.

Stephen
McGibbon, Premier’s Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, is a
Professional Geologist with over 27 years of exploration, mine production and
management experience.  He graduated from
Queen’s University at Kingston, in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Geological Sciences. Mr. McGibbon has established a very successful track
record in gold exploration and development, being a senior member of the team
at Goldcorp that discovered the “High Grade Zone” at Red Lake.  The High Grade Zone is world renowned as the
world’s highest grade gold deposit and one of the most important gold
discoveries made in the last 20 years.  In
his capacity as Chief Geologist and Exploration Manager, Stephen lead the
talented team of geologists that helped transform the marginal, high-cost
operation into an unparalleled mining success.  He is a disciplined geologist and team-builder
that helped foster a spirit of innovation at Premier Gold.

“I
look forward to working with the Ashburton team in advancing the Deep Creek
Project” stated Mr. McGibbon.  â€œPremier
is excited by the results-to-date on this early stage, potentially high grade
property and are convinced the right ingredients exist to make 2011 a very
rewarding exploration campaign.”

Mike
England, President of Ashburton stated “We are delighted to have a geologist of
Mr. McGibbon’s calibre join our team.  This is another positive development in the
evolution of our Company. Mr. McGibbon’s experience will be invaluable as we
continue to explore our exciting Deep Creek Project.
We look
forward
to working with him and the
other key executives of Premier.”

Ashburton
has made several significant discoveries at Deep Creek including the Upper Vein
that has been traced over a strike length of over 640 meters with surface
sampling returning assays up to 1,180 g/t Au with width of up to over one meter
widths in some areas.  Additional
undiscovered gold-bearing veins are also indicated by a float sample of vein
material collected upslope of the Upper Vein, which assayed at 28.90 g/t gold.  The Upper Vein area represents only 10% of the
Deep Creek property, much of which has not been systematically explored since
the early 1990’s.

Further
to the news release dated December 9, 2010 announcing a private placement, there
will be a finder’s fee of $2,000 payable in connection with the private
placement by way of the issuance of 25,000 units to Canaccord Genuity
Corp.  The
Company

also announces it has granted stock options
to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company to buy 1,600,000
shares, exercisable at a price of $0.18 per share for a period of five years
from the date of grant. 

The options have been granted in accordance with the Company’s stock
option plan.

Ashburton
Ventures is a junior exploration company actively seeking mineral opportunities
for the benefit of all its stakeholders.  For more information visit the Company’s
website located at www.ashburtonventures.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Michael England, President


For further
information contact:

Telephone:
(604) 683-3995



Forward-Looking Statement:
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that
involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Ashburton
Ventures Inc. Actual results may differ materially from those currently
anticipated in such statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release.