Len Wainwright of West Cumbria CAMRA writes :

Alan Fitton-Crellin has long been a passionate advocate of quality cask beers, both as an enthusiast and as a brewer. With nearly a decade of experience brewing at Workington's Tractor Shed Brewery, where he also played a key role in contract brewing for a range of other breweries, Alan was exposed to an extensive variety of beer styles. This experience sparked his ambition to create his own distinct range of craft beers.

In 2022, Alan partnered with Phil Scholey, a sales professional and a qualified graphic designer, to begin small batch brewed beers in Alan's garden shed. Starting with just 50 litres of beer per week, they purchased a small brew kit and a canning machine, with Phil designing the distinctive can labels and providing the marketing expertise. Their beers quickly found outlets in several select hospitality businesses across Cumbria, but their long term vision was to establish their own brewery and taproom.

The closure of Cockermouth's Jennings Brewery in autumn 2023 provided the catalyst to take the next step. Alan and Phil initially sought premises in Cockermouth but were up against numerous planning restrictions. Not deterred and realising that they needed to increase production, they approcached Graeme Mitchell, the owner of Tractor Shed Brewery and secured an agreement to contract brew at this brewery in Workington. Their output was increased overnight to up to 1000 litres per batch and they expanded their reach across Cumbria and the Lake District.

The beers gained a loyal following and in the summers of 2023 and 2024, their newly named 'Crooked River Brewery' hosted successful social events at Cockermouth Cricket Club, combining their craft beers with street food and live music.

Meanwhile, the search for a permanent brewery taproom continued and in the autumn of 2024 they secured an ideal location in a unit in Packhorse Court in Keswick. With Keswick's thriving tourism, Crooked River's reputation grew, attracting visitors from far and wide and opening doors to potential new outlets beyond Cumbria.

Until this point in time, Crooked River Brewery had focussed on keg and canned beer, as they did not wish to compete directly with Tractor Shed Brewery. However this year, Graeme Mitchell announced that he and his wife were retiring from the business in April 2025 and Alan and Phil duly reached an agreement to continue brewing both their own beers and the established Tractor Shed range of real ales at this Workington based brewery.

In February 2025 they began production of four Crooked River real ales : a 3.4% Pale Ale ; a 4.2% Golden Ale ; a 4.2% Bitter and a 4.8% Stout.

Looking ahead, Crooked River Brewery has ambitious plans to expand its hospitality presence in West Cumbria. They are also engaged in informal discussions with the new owners of Jennings Brewery regarding potential joint ventures in 2025.

For now, beer lovers and encouraged to seek out and enjoy Crooked River's excellent brews, crafted with passion, expertise and a deep appreciation for great beer

Len Wainwright, March 2025