AN AWARD-winning brewery has joined forces with Hesket Newmarket Brewery, to avoid a copyright issue over a new beer.

The two breweries first made contact when the small, cooperatively-owned Lake District brewery flagged the use of Scafell in the name of a recently launched Northern Monk beer, having already trademarked the iconic landmark for its Scafell Blonde Ale.

The two breweries took a refreshing approach to avoid conflict with each other and have now resolved the issue by collaborating on the beer going forward.

'Scafell' will now become the first Northern Monk / Hesket Newmarket collaboration on sale in supermarkets across the UK.

As part of a long-running commitment from the Leeds brewery to support and uplift others in the industry, Northern Monk hopes the share of sales from the brands distribution deal with Tesco will help the microbrewery recoup the losses following a devastating year for all in hospitality; and especially those crucial independent breweries, like Hesket Newmarket, who predominantly trade directly with pubs and small retail outlets.

The company's overall sales were down 68 per cent in March (year-on-year) with zero cask sales in April, May and June.

After the collaboration and introduction of 'Scafell' to Tesco stores, the supermarket giant has committed to set Hesket Newmarket up with their regional buyers in the north west to discuss finding a home for its bottled range to try and help it survive this crisis.

Producing a wide range of distinctive real ales in Cumbria since 1988, Hesket Newmarket Brewery celebrate over 30 years of brewing tradition, with most of their beers named after fells in the Lake District National Park.

Jim and Liz Fearnley built the brewing plant from scratch in the barn behind their pub The Old Crown in Hesket Newmarket, with the first brew a bitter named Blencathra after Jim's favourite Lake District fell.

Following their retirement in 1999 the brewery was bought by a group of real ale enthusiasts from the village and beyond as a co-operative, meaning Hesket Newmarket Brewery remains at the heart of its community in Cumbria to this day.

Viewing themselves as the latest in a long line of custodians of the brewing tradition, Northern Monk is grateful for the opportunity to work with the Cumbrian micro-brewery.

Both enterprises have community and collaboration at the heart of their business and show what can be achieved when we work with each other in hard times.

Russell Bisset, managing director of Northern Monk, said: “When we were first contacted by Hesket Newmarket brewery about a trademark infringement we were gutted.

"We had no idea another brewery was using the name Scafell and it was a beer we were really proud of.

"This has been a year that’s really challenged us and our industry as a whole, a year that’s forced us to think on our feet and work with our community to overcome challenges.

"Hesket is a small cooperatively-owned brewery and we were determined to find a way that would help Hesket and keep our beer on the shelves. Thus a collaboration was born with a portion of sales going to Hesket Newmarket.

"We’re proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with this fellow northern brewery metaphorically and on Tesco shelves across the country.”

Richard Lowth, chairman of Hesket Newmarket Brewery, said: “Like many small breweries we have been struggling to survive the dramatic loss of sales during the pandemic and the collaboration offered by Northern Monk will help to support our business through the lean winter months ahead.

"We are very pleased with this invitation to work with such a prestigious brewing company and hope that other business opportunities will follow.”