A CUMBRIAN brewer has returned from a trade mission to Japan, during which he met a brewer from Ambleside who has set up a successful business in the country.

Jason Hill, managing director of Eden Brewery, which is based near Penrith, has spent nearly two weeks meeting potential distributors and business contacts in the country.

One of the people Mr Hill met was Dan Cockburn, originally from Ambleside, who moved to the country nine years ago and is now the brewer at the Hakuba Brewing Company, near Nagano.

Mr Hill, who returned from Japan last week, also met with a number of potential Japanese distributors to look into ways Eden Brewery could export its beer to the country.

He said: "The independent brewery scene is growing increasingly popular in Japan. It was fascinating to meet Dan and learn more about the market here in the country and how he has made a success of it.

"There are a lot of really good local independent breweries, but there is definitely enthusiasm for high quality imported British beer as well and hopefully it is an emerging market that we can enter at just the right time.

"I have had some really useful meetings and conversations with some of the distributors over here and now we'll have to take some time to review all these contacts and see if we can make them bear fruit."

To find out more about the brewery and its beer go to www.edenbrewery.com