Tiny brewery thinks big

The brewery is owned by 66 local shareholders

A tiny brewery owned by people living in and around a Cumbrian village has announced expansion plans.

Shareholders of the Hesket Newmarket Brewery voted unanimously to approve the development, which they hope will secure its future.

Hesket Newmarket brewery near Carlisle, is one of England's smallest and was bought by villagers as a co-operative in 1999.

The brewery is owned by 66 shareholders, who either live locally or have strong connections with Hesket Newmarket.

The brewery, which is famed for beers like Doris' 90th Birthday and Great Cockup, almost went out of business during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Visitors' centre

But now there are plans to expand the brewery in three phases.

The first is to build a brewery annexe to house a climate controlled storage area and facilities for washing and filling casks.

This part of the project has already got planning permission.

The second stage is to increase the brewing capacity and make changes to the lay out of the brewery.

Finally, there are plans to create a visitors' centre and small shop.

The brewery's sales are up over 20% on last year, and there is a new website.