Ennerdale Craft Brewery is preparing to move to larger premises at Rowrah, near Frizington. 

It acquired the premises, a former warehouse, this month and has started work to convert it into a fully-functioning brewery. 

The plan is to move production there early in the New Year.

The business was founded five years ago by Paul Zanacchi and Barrie Roberts. 

Mr Zanacchi said: “We need to relocate in order to expand. At the moment the brewery is in a redundant barn at Croasdale, near Ennerdale Bridge. 

“Although it’s a quaint building and a lovely area, it isn’t working from a business and logistical point of view.

 “We had to make a decision, do we expand or stay at the same level. If the answer was ‘expand’, we knew we’d have to move. 

“The site at Rowrah is ideal for us, and will allow us to have a brewery shop and do tastings and tours.” 

At present, Ennerdale has three core ales – Blonde, Wild and Darkest – complemented by seasonal beers such as the Christmas ale Ginger Beer’d. 

It supplies cask ales to 120 pubs in Cumbria, and one in Yorkshire. 

A range of bottled beers was launched in 2013. Mr Zanacchi added: “We want to grow the businesses into pubs in the North East and Manchester, and to do that we need to increase production. 

“Currently, our capacity is 80 casks per week. We’re hoping to double that by the middle of next year. 

“We have 3.5 full-time-equivalent employee and we’re looking to increase that to eight by the end of 2016.”