A west Cumbrian craft beer brewing company has expanded its business by opening a new venue in Keswick.
The Crooked River Brewing Co has transformed a former gift shop in Packhorse Court into its flagship taproom.
Co-founders Phil Scholey and Alan Fitton Crellin said they were amazed at the turnout and the kind feedback they received over the launch weekend with a nice mix of both locals and visitors to the area coming in to sample the range of beers.
“We want to build a reputation as a family and pet-friendly bar where customers will be able to enjoy a range of locally made, brewery-fresh beer and learn about the brewing process directly from the team behind the beers,” said Phil.
“It’s been overwhelmingly positively received. When we opened we had an extremely busy weekend and it has been consistently busy since and as we moved into half term we realised we should look at staffing up. We have been very happy with the feedback that people have given us. It’s been generally positive.
“The model that we are going with is a day time bar rather than a night time one. It will typically open from 1pm to 9pm. It’s intended for people coming off the fells and looking for a place to find a good local beer and settle down for a couple of hours. That model seems to be working really well.”
Co-founders Phil and Alan launched a crowd funding campaign in 2022, which helped kick start their business. A few months later, they partnered with Tractor Shed Brewing in Workington, enabling them to quickly scale up production to supply bars, pubs, and shops across Cumbria.
Their beer has become a popular choice throughout the Lake District, where the majority of their customers are based. In 2023, their Double Dry Hopped Pale was awarded silver in the SIBA Regional Pale Ale category and caught the attention of Brewdog, which featured Crooked River beers across its bars nationally in their Up and Coming Fest.
They have since expanded their wholesale business nationally, with customers as far south as London now placing large orders.
Since opening, the bar has hosted live music and intends to bring in local acts to perform on Sunday afternoons rather than late evenings to offer relaxed entertainment for all the family.
The new taproom will allow Crooked River Brewing Co to expand its range with new and experimental beers, some exclusively available at the taproom, gauging customers’ responses before potentially scaling up production.
Phil said: “We’ve always wanted to bring more inclusive styles into the fold, such as our recent gluten-free range, and would love to branch out to non-alcoholic beers and do things more creatively.”
Before launching the business, the team met with other hospitality businesses in Packhorse Court to discuss exciting opportunities for collaboration and to build on the courtyard’s reputation as a vibrant food and drink destination for the town.
Lindon Bolton, of Craft Beer Keswick, was invited to brew a beer especially for the launch and it has been sold in both venues to mark the occasion.
“We wanted to demonstrate collaboration and connectivity with other local businesses,” said Phil. “Our wine and spirits are gratefully supplied by our neighbours at Lake District Wine and Kindred Spirits and we love to plug their amazing products alongside ours.
Phil concluded, “We’ve had many ideas for the taproom beyond serving beer. We would like to gradually introduce brewing experiences such as tasting sessions, home brew clubs, and meet-the-brewer events, pulling in guests from other breweries across the country.
“We also hope to use the space to host co-working mornings, live music, beer yoga, and we have had a great response to being the first to serve dog-friendly beer. In the bar we have a kids corner full of toys, games and crafts to keep the little ones entertained.”
