Sharp's Brewery in northern Cornwall, the home of Doom Bar ale, has confirmed plans to shut permanently this year, with up to 40 jobs on the line. The site will close its doors in December following a consultation process launched in February.
Owner cites financial sustainability
Owner Molson Coors said it had invested over £20 million in the site since acquiring it in 2011 but determined the operation was "no longer financially sustainable". It cited "market conditions continuing to evolve and changing consumer tastes leading to a challenged cask ale category".
Production of Sharp's cask brands including Doom Bar - which is named after a Cornish estuary - is expected to move to Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool.
CAMRA criticises plans
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has criticised the plans, with chief executive Tom Stainer saying it is "ridiculous that a beer named after a sandbank in the Camel Estuary and marketed as a 'Cornish original' is now going to be made in Hartlepool".
CAMRA's Cornwall chairman Dave Pedlar added: "This is a betrayal of the founders of Sharp's, the 40 people whose jobs are at risk and locals who have supported this business for decades. We've known for a while that the Sharp's cask production was moving out of the Duchy, but Hartlepool is 417 miles away, which is as far from Rock as Brussels. We need 'pasty-style' consumer protection laws that stop Molson Coors from continuing to market these beers as Cornish."
Company response
Molson Coors said "every alternative" to the brewery's closure had been "fully considered", adding that it was actively exploring a sale of the premises.
Simon Kerry, Managing Director for UK and Ireland of Molson Coors, said: "For the last 15 years, Sharp's Brewery has formed a significant part of our UK business, so taking the decision to close the site has not been easy. However, despite our best efforts, the site is no longer financially sustainable. I would like to take the opportunity to thank our many exceptional colleagues at Rock who have been instrumental in the success of the Sharp's brands during that time. Our focus is now on supporting those impacted throughout this transition."
