Lakes Brew Co was founded in Kendal in 2021 by former Hawkshead Brewery colleagues Matt Clarke, Michelle Gay and Steve Ricketts. The independent brewery produces a range of modern beer styles from its 16-hectolitre brewhouse, with a focus on freshness, quality, collaboration and its Cumbrian roots.
Brewery story
Lakes Brew Co was created by Matt Clarke, Michelle Gay and Steve Ricketts, who met while working together at Hawkshead Brewery. After being made redundant at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in March 2020, the three reunited around a shared ambition to establish a progressive brewery in Cumbria.
The brewery opened in Kendal in 2021 with a bespoke 16-hectolitre brewhouse and its own canning line. Head brewer Matt Clarke developed a range of modern beer styles built around freshness and quality, while the founders placed collaboration, community and their Lake District surroundings at the centre of the business.
Today, Lakes Brew Co operates from Mintsfeet in Kendal, where it holds a monthly pop-up brewery tap with street food. It also has a permanent tap in Ambleside, bringing its beers to another location in the heart of the Lake District.
Sources
Taprooms
Lakes Brew Co has 2 taprooms to visit. Explore each location for addresses, directions and opening-time information.
Taproom 1
Mintsfeet Road South, Kendal, LA9 6ND
A monthly pop-up tap at the Kendal brewery, serving fresh Lakes Brew Co beers alongside rotating street food. The brewery is around a ten-minute walk from Kendal town centre and railway station.
Taproom 2
The Old Mill, North Road, Ambleside, LA22 9DT
Lakes Brew Co's permanent Ambleside tap in the heart of the Lake District, serving the brewery's beers alongside food from Toast.
