Theakston Brewery company acquired and closed down the Lightfoot Brewery, also in Masham. Theakston's expanded into Cumbria in 1974 buying the Carlisle State Management Brewery. The brewery had been owned and operated by the government since 1916. However, the site was a financial drain on Theakston's and led to the company being taken over in 1984 by Blackburn based brewer, Matthew Brown plc. Matthew Brown was itself taken over by Scottish & Newcastle in 1987. Paul Theakston (Managing Director since 1968) left Theakston's in 1988, and in 1992 established the Black Sheep Brewery in the old Lightfoot Brewery premises - located adjacent
Camden Town Brewery spot. Shortly after, Cuppaidge rented five Victorian railway arches underneath Kentish Town West Station. By Spring 2010, Camden Town Brewery officially started brewing. Hells Lager, a cross between Helles and Pilsner brewed with malt and hops sourced from Germany, debuted in Autumn 2010, and is now brewed and sold alongside a collection of core beers and occasional releases. In December 2015, it was announced that Camden Town Brewery was being bought by the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, for about £85 million. "The Guardian" noted that "Cuppaidge, his family and three best friends own 95% of the company’s equity, suggesting