Background

Fell Brewery is a small, independent craft brewery based on the Cartmel Peninsula. Founded in 2013, the business has grown into a thriving enterprise with around 50 staff across six sites, including its own bars and a pub.

The Challenge

Recent years have brought significant challenges to the brewing industry, including rising interest rates and escalating costs that made capital investment and growth difficult. Reliance on third-party contractors to clean and supply kegs became prohibitively expensive, creating both financial pressure and supply reliability issues. Given that keg sales are Fell Brewery’s largest revenue stream, the business needed to find a way to reduce costs and gain more operational control.

The Solution

With support from Cumbria Business Growth Hub, Fell Brewery commissioned a UK-built keg washing machine and purchased a fleet of their own kegs using a grant of £16,600 funded by the Rural England Prosperity Fund, provided by Westmorland & Furness Council. Bringing keg cleaning in-house allowed the brewery to reduce dependence on costly contractors, improve supply reliability, and enhance operational flexibility. Six months after installation, the new equipment has been fully integrated into daily operations.

The Impact

The in-house keg washing capability has generated significant cost savings and given the Fell team more confidence and control over the cleaning process. The brewery’s new kegs present a polished, professional image, and brewers appreciate overseeing the cleaning firsthand. Additionally, the reduced volume of clean kegs stored on site has freed up valuable yard space, allowing the brewery to utilise the area more productively. Plans are already underway to expand the keg fleet and bring more of the process in-house, further boosting efficiency.