A former Keswick man has opened a new brewery in a north Lakes town that once had a national reputation for the beers it produced.
Mark Cockbain is to start making his own ales at The Bitter End in Cockermouth which he took over in 2020.
Jennings had been brewing in Cockermouth since 1874, but in November 2022 it was announced by Carlsberg-Marstons, which took it over in 2005, that it was to close with its production moved to Staffordshire. The closure was blamed on the Covid pandemic and the economic crisis.
Mark, who moved into the licensed trade when he acquired the Wheatsheaf at Lorton about 20 years ago, got his top quality stainless steel brewing plant from Phil Harrison, who shut down his Twisted Magnolia brewery and bar in Keswick a couple of years ago.
Phil set up the successful Keswick Brewery with his ex-wife Sue in 2005 and she is still at the helm of this award-winning business. It was rumoured that Phil had initially intended to relocate his brewing plant to a site near Penrith.
Mark, who worked for retired local builder Jimmy Moffat for years, intends to start brewing at the end of July. The facility is in the same location where there had been a brewery, installed in 1995 by former owners Mike Ashley and Sue Adams.
The new brewery has three fermenting vessels and once it is up and running, it should initially produce a good quantity of real ale every week.
Mark and his business partner Brian Whatamore have indicated that they initially plan to brew a light golden ale, a traditional bitter and a dark stout.
Future plans include bottling beer in time for the Taste of Cumbria Festival, which is held in Cockermouth in September.
The west Cumbria branch of Camra has congratulated Mark and his team for putting a brewery back in Cockermouth.
