Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth

Jennings Brewery was established as a family concern in 1828 in the village of Lorton, between Buttermere and Cockermouth in the Lake District, England. The brewery was started by John Jennings Snr, son of William Jennings (a maltster). Jennings brewed exclusively in Lorton until 1874 when its present home, the Castle Brewery in Cockermouth, was purchased. The Lorton brewery closed some five years later.

Jennings Brewery brewed a range of ales using lakeland water drawn from the brewery's own well, malted Maris Otter barley from Norfolk and Goldings, Fuggles and Challenger hops from Kent, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The malt used by Jennings brewery is screened and crushed rather than ground into a flour to keep the husks as whole as possible. The hops used are flaked rather than the increasingly popular hop pellets available nowadays.

In May 2005 Jennings Brewery was purchased by the national brewer, Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, (renamed Marston's Plc in January 2007). The purchase was opposed by the Campaign for Real Ale, which feared W&DB would close the Cockermouth brewery. In the short term these fears were unfounded, however, as in June 2005 W&DB announced it would invest £250,000 to expand fermenting and cask racking capacity in Cockermouth, this work had been completed before the end of October 2008

Following the takeover by W&DB, the brewery's distribution centre in Workington was closed and its tied estate of 127 pubs absorbed by the W&DB pub company.

In May 2020, Marston's announced that it would merge its brewing business with Carlsberg UK (the United Kingdom arm of Carlsberg Group), into a joint venture valued at £780m. Marston's will take a 40% stake in the merged firm. The deal will involve Marston's six breweries and distribution depots, but not its 1,400 pubs.
In September 2022, the Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company announced the closure of the brewery to take effect in early October [1]. Jennings Cumberland Cask ale and bottled beer brands will be produced at Marston’s Brewery, in Burton.

A month later, the site was placed on the market with the agents seeking offers in excess of £750,000. Agents TSR stated the property is suitable for continuation as a commercial brewing operation or as a regeneration opportunity, respecting the historic significance of the site.