Cumbrian Brewery Merger

I am a fan of Cumbrain Legendary Ales, a brewery located in Hawkshead. David has done a great job of producing some excellent beers. In fact I like all his beers and even my least favourite, King Dunmail, is exactly as it sets out to be, a good old fashioned traditional best bitter. For the last couple of years David phoned us every couple of weeks and convinced me to take some beer, often, to Ann's disgust, when we didn't actually need any.

I got the news this morning that CLA had been bought and David was moving on. Oh no! who's taking his place? Is someone being threatened by his success? Is it a buy out by a bigger brewery? I thought I'd phone to check.

I got the familiar "Cumbrian Ales!" greeting on the end of the phone and start talking to David. "What's happening then, where are you going?" I asked "What's this about you giving up brewing" . "It's not David it's Roger Humphreys" came the reply.

Thank goodness, I thought, somebody has bought it who knows what they are doing. Roger, of course, is the owner of The Kirkstile Inn which is a fine place that purveys good food and beer. Matt brews beer with the help of Hayley in their very own Loweswater brewery. I am particularly fond of their Loweswater Pale Ale as I have mentioned here.

Roger is one of those nice brewery owners who doesn't behave like he's hiding some sort of secret art that can't be discussed with other brewers. He's one of those nice guys that deserves the success he's clearly achieved with the Kirkstile and I hope this success continues. I also suspect he's the type of guy that will respond to the links provided here with some sort of reciprocal gesture, seeing as he's already a reader of my blog.

Do you think that was too blatant?

Now Loweswater brewery is about the same size as my brewery. Getting beer from Roger is not normally possible. Like me he only has sufficient for the demand at his own Inn. Roger told me he was planning on moving production of some of his very nice ales to his new acquisition in Hawkshead so we can look out of his wonderful LPA to become more widely available.

Roger told me that Hayley will take over most of the running of the brewery with a bit of help from the talented Matt Webster. So my order, that I put in with David, is going to be delivered by Kirkstile Inn staff next week.

Now, I just wonder if Roger is going to start buying up more pubs and if so at what stage I should object to the tie? Plus, I have still to find out what David is going to do next...........