North York Moors' Cropton Brewery reopens under new management - as original owners take back over

The Lee family founded Cropton Brewery in 1984, returning the craft of brewing to the village of Cropton.

The original brewery was in the cellars of the ‘New Inn’ pub, and in 1994, the brewery was built in the ‘Woolcroft’ which was farmland behind the pub.

Within a year production had doubled and that year saw the introduction of their first bottle-conditioned beer.

Now it is reopening again under management of the Lee family, and is exclusively partnering with two other breweries; The Yorkshire Pudding Beer Brewery and Twisted Wheel Brewery Co.

Philip Lee, managing director of Cropton Brewery, welcomes The Yorkshire Pudding Beer Brewery and Twisted Wheel Brew Co to their new premises.

He said: “We’re excited to have Yorkshire Pudding Beer Brewery and Twisted Wheel Brew Co. join us here at Cropton Brewery. Their unique take on brewing and commitment to using the finest ingredients is a great fit for our business.

“We are confident that this partnership will create some truly exceptional beers that beer lovers in Yorkshire and beyond will enjoy.”

The move to Cropton Brewery will allow the partner breweries to expand their production capacity and develop some exciting new beers.

The breweries will now be able to showcase their beers on draft and tap in Cropton’s brewery tap pub, ‘The New Inn’.

Cropton Brewery will also be running brewery tours,providing a more immersive and interactive experience for visitors.

The Yorkshire Pudding Beer Brewery are known for their iconic beer made using real Yorkshire Puddings, half a Yorkshire Pudding in every pint! They announced their move to new premises at Cropton Brewery earlier this year and have already sent their first consignment of over 100,000 bottles to Aldi after winning the lucrative “Aldi’s Next Big Thing” on Channel 4.

Howard Kinder, founder of The Yorkshire Pudding Beer Brewery, expressed his enthusiasm for the new location and the opportunities it presents for his business.

He said: “We’re thrilled to be moving into our new home at Cropton Brewery. Their reputation for quality brewing and commitment to using locally sourced ingredients aligns perfectly with our values, and we look forward to collaborating with them to create new and exciting beer flavours which include our new Yorkshire Pudding Porter.”

Twisted Wheel Brew Co, a multi-award winning brewery is starting its first brew at Cropton Brewery this week. The move marks an exciting expansion for the growing brewery, which has quickly gained popularity among beer enthusiasts in the region and beyond.

Twisted Wheel have already garnered a lot of interest for their craft brews which include the very popular selection of hoppy, sour, and super fruity beers.

Anthony Barrett from Twisted Wheel Brew Co and now Head Brewer at Cropton Brewery said: “The Twisted Wheel story began in 2020 and has been a bit of a rollercoaster since then. From the beginning, we have focused on producing modern, creative beer styles.

"As a team we brew beers that we want to drink, and strongly believe that great beer is something to be enjoyed by everyone. We are all about creating the best modern craft beers, full of flavour, creativity and vibrancy. Our beers are to be enjoyed by everyone and be remembered.”