100 jobs at risk as Carlsberg Marston’s axes Black Country brewery
Wolverhampton’s Banks’s Brewery will close next autumn as part of a restructuring of its brewery network, putting almost 100 jobs at risk.
Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) says the move is in response to the decision by Mahou San Miguel not to renew its long-term exclusive licence partnership from 2025 which has left “significant excess capacity”.
The brewery group said it had also been impacted by the decline of cask ale volumes over several years.
Marstons sold its 40% stake in CMBC for £206m in July to become a business entirely focused on pubs. The assets were snapped up by a subsidiary of Carlsberg just four years after the joint venture was established in a £780m merger.
CMBC has now turned its attention to its breweries in Northampton and Burton, with a long-term ambition to establish Marston’s Brewery in Burton as a national centre for craft beer and traditional ale brewing in the UK.
More than £6m will be invested in Burton, including the refurbishment of its cask ale line to brew traditional British ales, as well as developing capabilities for brewing innovative, contemporary craft ales.
As part of CMBC’s logistics strategy, the business will also invest to develop a new logistics depot in the Black Country region, to support its nationwide secondary logistics network.
CMBC said it will support colleagues across its wider network impacted by these proposals, including the 97 employed at Banks’s Brewery, and will be working with trade union and colleague representatives throughout the consultation process.
Paul Davies, CEO of CMBC, said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision, however it has been necessary to restructure our business to maintain our competitiveness in a challenging UK beer market.
“The hard reality is that, because of the current climate for ale and Mahou San Miguel’s decision not to renew its exclusive production and distribution agreement with CMBC from the start of next year, we will have significant excess capacity across our brewery network which we have to address.
“The team at Banks’s has been unwavering in its dedication and commitment to the brewery. We will ensure that we support all our people closely throughout this extremely challenging period.
“While the proposed closure of our Wolverhampton brewery is very regrettable, with the significant investments we are making in our Northampton and Burton breweries, our strong portfolio of brands and industry-leading logistics network, CMBC will continue to deliver for our customers and focus on long-term growth.”