What started as a potential copyright dispute over the use of the ‘Scafell’ name has turned into a much more positive story as award-winning Leeds brewers Northern Monk and Cumbrian co-op Hesket Newmarket Brewery have chosen collaboration over conflict.
Hesket Newmarket Brewery, one of the very first microbreweries in Cumbria, flagged the use of ‘Scafell’ in the name of a recently launched Northern Monk beer, having already trademarked the iconic Northern landmark for their Scafell Blonde Ale.
For those who may not be aware, Scafell is a mountain in the Lake District. It is quite apt this beer now becomes proof that no conflict is insurmountable in the craft beer world.
The two breweries have taken a refreshing approach to avoid conflict with each other and have 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.
“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. 2020 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 are 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.”
– Russell Bisset (Managing Director, Northern Monk)
As part of a long running commitment from the Leeds brewery to support and uplift others in the industry, Northern Monk hopes that the share of sales from the brands distribution deal with Tesco will help the microbrewery recoup 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.
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 their bottled range in store with the view to helping this crucial local brewery survive, and thrive, in this crisis.