Appleby Brewery Bar & Shop, Penrith

An accidental pub, set up by the owner of the brewery situated in an outhouse of Morland House in this tiny picturesque village. He applied for a licence to sell bottled and kegged beers to the off trade, only to find that he had also been granted an on-sales licence, whether by his faulty form filling or by the licencing authority's over-enthusiasm will probably never be known. In addition to the small shop, then, he now has also a converted stable where a bar has been set up, featuring three hand pumps. The stalls remain, and have each been given a pub-like character with appropriate furniture and decoration. The beers have names inspired by the owner's self-diagnosed mid-life crisis, and to judge from the quality of the beer that I sampled, he appears to have fallen on his feet. The only downside is that the pub opens from 9am to 6pm only. Date of visit: 10th July 2016