Tirril Brewery, tucked away in the village of Long Marton near Appleby, is not just a place where beer is made; it’s where history is bottled, character is brewed, and community is celebrated.
When Chris Tomlinson brewed his first beer - originally as a side hobby to support his running of the Queen’s Head Inn in Tirril - it marked exactly 100 years since the last brewery in the village was closed.
The date accidentally fell on the anniversary of the brewery closing its doors in 1899 after the proposed opening was delayed for a month due to the arrival of Chris’ daughter, India. They both now work for the rapidly expanding brewery alongside Chris’s wife, Alison.
Chris said: “We started the brewery on the side as we were running the Queen’s Head in Tirril, and we are really passionate about using traditional British hops to produce traditional British beers.
“It got to the point where the brewery became so busy it became a full-time job. We now have 150 customers all within a 50-mile radius of the brewery, ranging from pubs, campsites and corner shops through to the Ullswater Steamers and Michelin-starred restaurants.
“We are proud to be a Cumbrian brewer stocked throughout the county, and there is something special about guests visiting the area and being able to sample beers available only in this part of the country.”
The history of brewing in Tirril dates back centuries and John Siddle’s original brewery was closed in 1899 after being bought by Glassons of Penrith. The original building, known as the Malt House, still stands in the village today.
Fast forward to 1996 - Chris moved into the village when he took over the Queen’s Head and three years later, in a poetic twist of fate, he brewed the first beer in Tirril for exactly a century.
Chris’ brew kit was an 81-gallon Heath Robinson marvel cobbled together from abandoned brewery parts, washing machine hoses, and fired by two tar burners.
Planning permission came with a curious caveat too as 90% of the beer had to be sold at the Queen’s Head. It was a hobby brewery with an original mission to brew beers for fun, not as a business.
Each beer was launched with a blackboard pump clip, chalked up as “Beer Number 1” and so on. The pub’s regulars became an unofficial tasting panel, debating and refining each brew until consensus was reached.
Within a year, three beers had emerged, each named after historical figures from the village including John Bewsher’s Best Bitter, honouring the 1830s landlord of the Queen’s Head. The brewery even holds the original rental agreement signed by poet William Wordsworth and family.
The first Cumbrian case of Foot and Mouth disease in 2001 was recorded at the farm neighbouring the Queen’s Head, and 85% of the pub’s trade dropped overnight. So, the brewery needed to adapt and start selling its beer away from the pub in order to survive.
The popularity of the beers spiralled and, in 2003, the Queen’s Head was named the Best Pub in Britain in the Good Pub Guide as it excelled across the board including the production of its popular homemade stock.
As the need for larger brewing machinery grew, the brewery had to relocate away from the Queen’s Head. A four-year spell followed in the impressive Brougham Hall’s 1823 brewing rooms, before the business settled into its new home in Long Marton.
Today, Tirril Brewery is a thriving, family-owned business producing 15 gluten-free beers and lagers in cask, bottle and keg.
The family business has also branched out to produce its own range of locally produced Tirril Gin, linking up with Solway Spirits. All the ingredients for the gins are foraged or grown in Cumbria by the Tirril Brewery team.
As the brewery continues to expand and thrive, the family is supported by H&H Insurance Brokers all the way.
Chris said: “We’ve known Amanda Wallbank for a long time and the fact H&H Insurance Brokers provides bespoke brewing insurance means it is the perfect match for us.
“We have issues other businesses don’t as we need ingredients insurance and yeast insurance, as examples, but H&H Insurance Brokers was able to find us a comprehensive brewing package which means nothing slips through the gaps.
“The team is behind us in everything we want to do, and they are great at keeping us abreast of other things, such as cybercrime, to make sure we can function at our full capacity.
“A cost-effective insurance policy is really important, but so is the amazing customer service support we receive from Amanda and the team.”
Amanda said: “Tirril Brewery is an example of a company which is multi-faceted and requires specialist insurance to make sure it can achieve its business ambitions.
“The team does a great job in providing a service much loved to Cumbrians and visitors alike, and we’re pleased to be able to support them every step of the way.
“I’ve developed a great relationship with the Tomlinsons over the years and always strive to provide the best service to all our customers. We are delighted to be able to secure Tirril Brewery a comprehensive insurance policy enabling them to serve such a great product across the whole of Cumbria.”