Lakes Brew Co

Lakes Brew Co has an origin story that many small breweries share but fewer are honest about. The founders — Matt, Michelle, Steve, and Paul — were made redundant from Hawkshead Brewery at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020. Out of that came a decision to build something of their own rather than wait for someone else to hire them back into the industry they knew.

The brewery launched in July 2022 from Kendal, Cumbria. It is a woman co-owned business, independent, and rooted in the Lake District landscape that surrounds it. The inspiration is genuine rather than marketing shorthand: brewing in a place with that kind of scenery, that history of outdoor culture, and that draw for visitors does shape what you make and how you talk about it.

Lakes Brew Co earned recognition early. SIBA awards came in their first full year, and they took Drinks Producer of the Year at the Cumbria Food Awards in 2022. For a brewery that was barely off the ground, that is a solid start.

The core range covers what craft drinkers expect: hazy pales, soft IPAs, more ambitious double IPAs, and imperial stouts for the colder end of the year. The brewing is confident for a young operation, and the range has expanded as the team has found its feet.

First Light is their 0.5% hazy pale ale. It carries the soft, juicy hop character of the rest of the range without leaning on residual sweetness to compensate for the low ABV. Available online direct and through select stockists. Kendal is also home to a taproom presence for locals and the walkers and cyclists passing through.

Lakes Brew Co is still building its distribution reach, but the foundations are there. A team with deep industry experience, a location that has genuine appeal, and a product range that has already caught attention outside Cumbria.

The Collection

First Light Hazy Pale