Last updated at 10:22, Friday, 23 December 2011

A Cockermouth brewery has closed and its brewing equipment has been sold to a London pub.

Bitter End Brewing Co Ltd opened on Derwent Mills Commercial Park in 2009 but it has now closed and its equipment has been bought by Tap East in the Westfield complex in Stratford, which was confirmed by the Campaign for Real Ale.

Co-owner Mike Askey declined to comment this week about why the brewery had shut, and business partners David Watson and Tony Ingham were also unavailable for comment.

The business began in 1995 in a small brewery attached to the Bitter End pub, in Kirkgate, by the pub’s owner Mr Askey. He was helped by the late Peter Yates, former Jennings head brewer and founder of Yates brewery at Westnewton.

The brewery then moved to the Derwent Mills industrial unit, where Mr Askey went into business with old friends Mr Watson, of Tallentire, and Mr Ingham, of Cockermouth.

It created nine jobs and brewed a range of beers.

Mr Askey said in 2009 that he and his wife Sue had invested a lot of money in the move and that demand for bottled beer had grown.

Chris De Cordova, Cumbria area organiser for Camra, said: “I was very shocked to hear they were closing as they were a popular brewery.”

Stephen Walker, of the West Cumbria Camra branch, said: “It produced some really good beers. However, the pub and brewery trade is suffering.”

Brian Trengove, chairman of Cockermouth’s Chamber of Trade, said: “They were a great tourist attraction.”

First published at 19:21, Thursday, 22 December 2011
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk