“It’s the only job I’ve had where I don’t mind taking my work home with me.”
As head brewer, John Bernard Major has the kind of job where attention to detail is key. With a decade of experience, he oversees the small but perfectly formed Flookburgh home of Fell Brewery.
The distinctive rich smell of brewing ingredients permeates the unassuming building which has become a thriving hub in just over a decade of business.
The original brewing area is now where the carefully produced craft beer is stored at a bracing 9 Celcius. The unit next door is home to the state-of-the-art process that has brought Fell to the attention of a growing number of fans.
“We’re what’s known as a 15-barrel brewery which means we can produce just under 3,000 litres of wort every single brew day,” John explains.
Wort is the vital sugary liquid that is steeped in hot water and fermented to make beer. Fell’s range is extensive in keg, cask and can with a few surprises to keep fans interested.
With over a decade of brewing experience, the pride John has for his work is obvious and is a common trait among the team at Fell. An apprentice brewer is the newest arrival this week.
But Fell is more than just a brewery.
Established in 2013, four years later the firm opened a bar and since then have added more.
As well as the Royal Oak in Cartmel, the brewery’s venues can be found in Kendal and Penrith with two now open in Manchester.
“Our logo says ‘independent, sustainable, small, and local’ and we really want to live up to that,” Fell Brewery managing director Michael Dixey says. From creating the brew, transporting it to outlets through to serving it, Fell’s staff are a big part of the entire process.
Sustainability is important too, from using locally sourced ingredients to the power generated by solar panels on the roof above the fermentation vessels. The brewery aims to show how a small, independent concern can have a positive impact on its local surroundings, economy and environment.
There is a mix of traditional methods and innovation at work. The company has invested in new technology which allows remote real-time monitoring of the fermentation process to ensure quality while reducing the frequency that staff need to travel to be on site.
“We are taking sustainability really seriously,” Michael says. “The fact one of the three directors and co-founder Tim is now our sustainability director shows our ambition.
“We’re also being transparent around where and what we need to do to improve, we don’t have all the answers, and it would be disingenuous to overly simplify and pretend we do. Progress will be the result of much hard work.
The brewery has collaborated with Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan in creating a gose-style beer.
Gose beers have a salty, sour taste and the latest addition to the range uses surplus courgette and mint grown on Rogan’s Our Farm near Cartmel. The beer is described as a refreshing palate cleanser featuring a light finish with a lingering freshness.
The collaboration – the second with the award-winning chef – is a signal of how both see this part of South Cumbria as an area ripe for further food and drink exploration.
With the latest brew underway, the mood at Fell is buoyant. So what does the future hold and how does the kind of business that fares well when the economy is thriving but less-so during times of austerity view the coming months and years?
“Aside from the obvious of alcohol duty reform, which we don’t hold our breath on, there are two big things we need,” according to Michael Dixey. “Political and economic stability leading to sustained economic growth is important.
“We do well when our customers and the country does well. If people are optimistic, they are more likely to come out for a drink or meal, an event or a gig. Our products and services are at the discretionary end of spending, so we feel sharply what the country is feeling.
“Secondly, the biggest issue our staff face is the cost of housing which holds them back in their lives.
“It’s also something our customers face so the more any government can do to promote high quality, secure housing the more people are likely to feel secure and therefore want to engage with their communities and go to the pub.
“Our venues are community based so we need people to feel like they have a stake in that.”
