'Landmark' former Marston's brewery sold by Shrewsbury firm amid 'significant interest'

The former Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth, Cumbria has been acquired by local business owners Kurt and Rebecca Canfield , with Shrewsbury firm Towler Shaw Roberts(TSR) handling the sale.

The site was purchased by Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries in 2005 and continued as a working brewery until 2022 when its closure was announced following the merger of Marstons' brewing business with Carlsberg. 

Following the closure of the brewery in 2022, the site was marketed with a price tag of £750,000. The site is now set to reopen as a brewery following the completion of the purchase.

Bottled beer under the Jennings brand will continue to be sold by Carlsberg Britvic until this month, following which beer production will transfer to the new company, which will be known as Jennings Brewery Ltd.

“We are pleased to have successfully completed a sale to Kurt and Rebecca Canfield and wish them every success moving forward with their new venture," said Toby Shaw, partner at TSR.

“There was significant interest in the property because of its iconic nature and the history that goes with it.

“It is great news for the local community that the brewery will now reopen. The brewery is a landmark property, an iconic building steeped in history, that occupies an excellent location near Cockermouth town centre."

The property features an extensive complex of inter-connecting buildings, extending in total to 63,125 sq ft, within a total site area of 1.73 acres (0.7 hectares) occupying a prime location in the centre of Cockermouth and fronting the River Cocker.

Carlsberg Britvic head of properties and facilities David Bodily said: “We’re pleased to have completed the sale of Jennings brewery to new, local owners who are looking to preserve the site’s brewing heritage."