Hesket Newmarket Brewery

Image thanks to Hesket Newmarket Brewery

The northern edge of the Lake District behind Skiddaw is a vast landscape of upland moors and narrow winding lanes leading through small hamlets that rarely see the crowds of tourists that can be found further south in the national park.

It is here that one of Cumbria’s first microbreweries was created in 1988 and what makes the Hesket Newmarket Brewery so special is that it is entirely owned by the local community as a cooperative.

About Hesket Newmarket Brewery

Image thanks to Hesket Newmarket Brewery

The brewery was established in 1988 by Jim and Liz Fearnley who owned the adjacent pub, the Old Crown. It started as a small enterprise, with the aim to supply beer to the pub only, and the first beer created was named Blencathra, after one of the fells that overlooks Hesket Newmarket. The second brew was named Doris, after Liz’s mother. It quickly attracted attention from real ale aficionados and demand increased significantly. However, after a decade of brewing the owners wanted to retire and faced with the possibility of the brewery closing all together, a group of local ale enthusiasts from the village formed a cooperative to buy the business in 1999.

Since then, the brewery has gone from strength to strength, driven by a desire to produce the best beer and ensure that the brewery remains operating, rather than by simple profit. The equipment has been upgraded and steps have been taken to ensure the business remains competitive in a difficult market, with the addition of bottled craft beers produced alongside cask ales.

Beer List

Image thanks to Hesket Newmarket Brewery

Beers produced by the Hesket Newmarket Brewery include:

• Black Sail – A full bodied stout
• Brim Fell – A session IPA
• Catbells – A premium pale ale
• Doris’ 90th Birthday Ale – A fruit amber beer
• Haystacks – A refreshing ale
• Helvellyn Gold – A smooth golden bitter
• High Pike – A malty best bitter
• Old Carrock – A strong ruby ale
• Red Pike – A red ale
• Scafell Blonde – A hoppy blonde ale
• Skiddaw – A classic session bitter

Visiting the Brewery

Open tours are not available at this brewery, but private tours may be arranged at the discretion of the owners, with advanced booking essential. Alternatively, you can sample all of the ales at the adjacent Old Crown pub, which is also owned by a village cooperative.

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