The West Cumbria branch of CAMRA has been actively campaigning to save Jennings Brewery from permanent closure since the day it ceased brewing and for the past several years, with many articles published by our small band of activists in the local press, on social media and in this website, plus several media interviews.

Members of the branch also staged an exhibition of Jennings memorabilia in a Cockermouth shop window a while ago.

No other organisation or government body locally has come close to the dedicated input of our active branch members in their dogged effort to save this unique brewery.

With a bit of luck, Jennings will be revived big style and the new owners may even see fit to buy a few local pubs in the course of time to ensure the long term survival of the famous Castle Brewery and the precious jobs therein.

I sold Jennings Bitter in a pub I own in Tynemouth for over 20 years so I’ve had a close business connection with Jennings.

The new owners of the brewery have hit the ground running and have already launched a ‘brewery membership’ scheme allowing members of the public to purchase one of several types of membership in return for certain benefits. Details of this somewhat unusual scheme can be seen on Jennings website. Maybe this is a type of crowdfunding ? I am not in a position to judge or to advise whether or not this is a sound investment.

Prior to about 1980, Jennings Castle Bitter was the name of their popular low gravity, full flavoured, session bitter. Shortly after this it was rebranded simply as Jennings Bitter. This same beer will be launched once again with its former name, so a link with the past.

Jennings Castle Brewery has the unique distinction of being located right next to a Grade 1 medieval castle and it even has its own deep well which supplies chemical-free pure water (or ‘liquor’ as master brewers call it). This pure water imparts a unique flavour to their ales.

Active members of the West Cumbria branch of CAMRA are to be applauded for their dogged long term campaigning to revive brewing at Jennings.

At time of writing, brewing has recommenced at Jennings and beer is conditioning within the brewery and will be on sale shortly in their brewery bar and to the free trade.

Hugh Price

Branch committee member & website editor.

On Saturday 7th June at 3pm the Keswick Brewing Company will be presented with a certificate by Lynda Johnson of the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain Tasting Panel.

Pictured above is Matthew Power, the Head Brewer.

The presentation will take place in the splendid Keswick Brewery Fox Tap bar.

Director, Sue Jefferson, is delighted that the brewery has scooped this highly prestigious award for their top quality Mild beer.

Please make an effort to attend this presentation and to raise a glass to this gem of a brewery.

The 2025 Cumbria Pub of the Year is The Cumberland Inn at Alston.

Award presentation is being held at the pub on Saturday 5th July.

The new owners of Jennings Brewery, Kurt Canfield and Rebecca Canfield have appointed Chris France as MD and Buster Grant as Head Brewer. Chris and Buster are pictured here

Buster Grant is currently sourcing new brewing kit to install in the historic Castle Brewery in Cockermouth - so named because of its proximity to 12th century Cockermouth Castle, owned by Lord and Lady Egremont.

The core range of beers will be Cockerhoop, Castle Bitter, Cumberland Ale, Snecklifter, plus a new beer, appropriately named Back Yam.

The brewery is currently advertising for bar staff to work in their brewery tap. Brewery tours are also planned.

A petition has been launched requesting that the government nominates cask ale for Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Status. Phil Simpson of Lancaster Brewery is quoted in the press as saying that he is surprised that it hasn’t been given this status already.

The UK only ratified the Unesco convention in March of last year and cask ale could become the country’s first cultural icon under the scheme.

A government response to the petition is expected in the near future.

Decline in real ale sales is largely down to an almost complete lack in advertising by the big brewers. Apart from a regular full page Timothy Taylor’s advert in Private Eye magazine there is precious little else.

Well brewed, well kept British cask ale is a world beater and worthy of Unecso status.

West Cumbria CAMRA member, Len Wainwright reports :

Ownership of Tractor Shed Brewery has been sold by Graeme and Rachel Mitchell to their Head Brewer, Alan Fitton-Crellin and his business partner Phil Scholey.

Alan, pictured here, has been working in the brewery at Calva Brow, Workington since 2016. The new business will be renamed Crooked River Brewing Company and Alan says that they will continue to brew the popular range of Tractor Shed ales in addition to their own range of ales.

Alan and Phil started brewing small batch beers in Alan's garden shed in 2022 and their long term vision was to establish their own brewery and taproom.

In the autumn of 2024 they opened a Crooked River bar in Packhorse Court in Keswick.

Crooked River intend to expand their hospitality presence across Cumbria and have been engaged in dialogue with the new owners of Jennings Castle Brewery with a view to joint ventures.

(NOTE : A full unedited version of Len's article can be found in the Menu on this website)

Phil Wooly visited Nether Wasdale recently. The Screes (pictured) was unfortunately closed.

Phil did however manage to grab a pint or two in the Strands Inn and had a chat with their Head Brewer, Daniel

Ennerdale Brewery are brewing limited edition special ales during 2025 called their BritHop series, celebrating top quality British hops.

Brilliant news :

It is reported in the media that a couple of local entrepreneurs have acquired Jennings Brewery along with the rights to all the trademarks, intellectual property and beer recipes from former owner Carlsberg Britvic.

The new owners of Jennings Brewery Limited are Kurt Canfield and Rebecca Canfield.

Kurt is reported as saying that they have extensive plans to enhance the site while respecting its heritage. He says that it will take some time to get back to brewing the great beer that Jennings is known for.

Jennings will be creating several new jobs including the appointment of a Head Brewer and a brewing team.

New Managing Director is Chris France, founder of the speciality beer retailer Beer Hawk, which is now owned by global beer company AB Inbev and now trades as Perfect Draft. Chris grew up in the Lake District.

This former buoyant hotel in Whitehaven is currently a sorry sight. It had sold excellent Bowness Bay beer prior to closing.

It was sold by its long-term family owners about 4 years ago and was promptly converted into an asylum hostel. This was short lived as the hotel was emptied of occupants a couple of years ago and it has stood neglected and empty ever since.

The skip and building materials in the Waverley car park are unconnected with the hotel but are to do with the building next door which is being converted into a computer gaming centre with funds from Sellafield’s bottomless purse.

The Waverley was at the heart of the local community and was host to innumerable family events over the years.

Fingers crossed it eventually reopens with real ale on offer again.