About Dent Brewery

Nestling in picturesque Dentdale, in that corner of the Yorkshire Dales National Park that is actually in Cumbria, is one of the most remote breweries in the Country. Originally, the intention was to sell Dent beer only at the Sun Inn, but such was its popularity that other landlords in the Dales and Lakes asked for supplies and the brewery was soon operating at capacity.

Head Brewer Gaz Murray, assisted by Ben Wood & Simon Calvert make 6 real ales and various specials from a natural spring behind the brewery. Drayman Simon Winder delivers to freehouses, wholesalers and chains as far north as Carlisle and down into the Manchester area.

Take a look at our Dent Cask Ales, Special Ales and Dent Bottled Beers.

History of Dent Brewery

There cannot be many breweries more remote than Dent. It's half way up a hillside, a couple of miles along a single track road from the picturesque village of Dent, halfway between the village and the eponymous railway station (all, confusingly, within the Yorkshire Dales National Park!). The brewery itself is in a barn next to a former farmhouse known as The Hollins. From the door way you look across wild Dentdale but inside the brewery has undergone a transformation - all is very slick and modern.

One of the founding breweries in Cumbria, the brewery (the third Cumbrian micro) originally was started in 1990, owned by Martin Stafford. Brewing seemed like a good way of keeping the pub supplied with a local real ale. Paul Goodyear, from Dent village, took over the brewing. Production expanded and Dent soon became established as one of better known Northern microbreweries. A couple of years ago plans to relocate the brewery in larger premises looked as though they might come to fruition, and Martin sold The Hollins to Paul and Judith Beeley. Eventually, after failing to find new premises for the brewery, Martin also sold the business to the Beeleys. The change of ownership has brought a number of changes, but much has stayed as it was. When Paul left in 2010 Gaz Murray became Head Brewer and the team expanded to bring in Simon Calvert and Ben Wood.

The brewery was completely renovated in 2005, with washable wall and floor coverings, new mash tun, copper and fermenting vessels all linked by gleaming stainless steel pipework. The vessels were fabricated by a local firm in Kendal and a new grist box upstairs was made by Paul Beeley. Three fermenters are now of 10 barrel capacity.

All the water used in brewing comes from the Hollins' own spring up on the fellside. Malts come from Muntons of Stowmarket; hops come from Charles Faram. The brewing team use eight different hop varieties, but the main ones are Northdown, Styrian Goldings and Fuggles. Dent's biggest seller is Aviator, a drinkable hoppy bitter beer, followed by Golden Fleece and Kamikaze. There are seven regular brews, plus numerous specials. Most of the beer names have a connection with sheep since the population of Dentdale is such that there are more grass eaters, many of them grazing nearby, than beer drinkers. Thus, for example, the prize-winning 'Ewetopia', 'Ramsbottom' and 'Sunny Wether'.

In 2006 the Brewery bought the George & Dragon in Dent village, which is proving a great success, offering the range of Dent beers along with continually changing Guest beers from all over Cumbria and the UK, together with good food and wine.

This information has been put together from articles orginally by Ros Berry (for What Ales)and Alan Risdon (for Cumbria Real Ale Guide).