The darkest of dark days in Burton's proud history as Carlsberg announce another hammer blow
Updated: Oct 9
THERE cannot be too many hammer blows left for the beleaguered brewing industry in Burton to take but the announcement by Carlsberg-Britvic that they are to close the former Marston’s brewery in the town is as big as any in recent times.
It is a sad truth that the town for centuries known as the brewing capital of Britain is now, in beer terms, a shell of its former self.
It will be a shattered shell, too, with the loss of the Shobnall brewery, declared surplus to requirements by a conglomerate interested in soft drinks first, lager second and beer a distant third.
Only a short while ago, Carlsberg claimed they were investing £6m in the Shobnall site’s ale production. They still brew Marston’s Pedigree, although they have been hauling back its availability for some time, and they have a contract to brew Draught Bass for another conglomerate, AbInBev.
They have made a success of the Bass contract, by and large, and the brand owners have worked hard to raise the profile and with it the sales of the beer with a decent marketing push over the last year.
As things stand today, it would be a bigger loss than Pedigree and it is hard to see where that contract might go next.
It is nothing new, but the staggering arrogance, insincerity and downright dishonesty of companies like Carlsberg is a disgrace and it still shocks.
How dare they describe the brewery’s history and legacy in the town as “iconic”, as they have, while stamping on it in the same breath? How dare they have talked about the importance of the brewery so recently when, obviously, their plans were already being formulated?
But modern corporate bosses, perhaps even more so than their forebears, know no shame, have no compassion and do not understand, or want to understand, traditions and culture. That is apparent across many industries.
If it were football, it would be akin to sacking a manager after only a few months and thanking him for his efforts. The majority of clubs do that.
There will be a battle of sorts, there always is, and people like Camra and local MPs will wring their hands and say what a disgrace it all is. But history tells us that Carlsberg will ignore all that and go ahead with their plans anyway.
The list of breweries they have closed since buying into this country gets longer every year – it is not long ago that they closed Banks’s Brewery in Wolverhampton.
Could there be a chink of hope? Both Carlsberg and Camra have mentioned the possibility of independent brewers who do care taking on some of the brands the conglomerate no longer has any interest in.
Unfortunately, there will be a very short list of companies with the capacity, the logistics and the inclination to take on Bass, for one.
The most likely – and I am only speculating wildly – would be Thornbridge, of Bakewell, who previously rescued one of the Union fermentation sets when Carlsberg could no longer be bothered to maintain them.
I’d love to think Burton Bridge could do it but I’m pretty sure the brewery itself isn’t big enough.
Thornbridge have the skill and experience to make a good job of the beer but the sticking point, an insurmountable one for many, is that it would no longer be brewed in Burton – unless they were to go the whole hog and buy the brewery itself.
That would probably not be economic but it would make them a lot of friends.
Even so, it’s all very well me and others moaning about the possible loss of our favourite beers – but there are also more than 300 people who will be put out of work by Carlsberg.
I’ve just dashed off a few thoughts for now. It’s a shocking and dark day for brewing in Burton and there will be plenty more to be said on the subject.
It seems that in terms of cask beer, we may be heading for a time when only the smaller, independent breweries are left brewing it. Update... a couple of ideas have emerged from comments on this piece and in other areas and while they may well be pie in the sky, perhaps they also offer food for thought.
What if number one... buying the whole site, or at least the listed buildings that include the main brewery, was too much for one company (hello Thornbridge again!) but several companies came together in a consortium to buy it, keep it going, save jobs and keep brewing the best beers. The goodwill that would generate would be priceless.
What if number two... the site could be seen as the ideal location for a new national brewery museum, complete with a working commercial brewery as its centrepiece; that brewery already being there, of course. That obviously leaves the question of who might have the ambition and the money to fund it, and whether or not Carlsberg would sell. Again, it could save jobs.
Not a surprise!
As an ex employee of Marstons (twice) I find this so sad, Pedigree was a massive success story, I sold it around the country by the trunker loads as the best ale in the market, now a poor beer that tastes of something has been given no love or passion to produce, but that’s Carlsberg for you, probably the worst company in the world.
Lets hope someone takes the challenge to buy the brewery. As for Bass, taking it out of Burton rips the heart out of the beer! However it’s still a great beer.
RIP Pedigree
Dark days. My next book is set in and after WW2, and Bass beer has a role.
Most likely brewer to take on brewing Bass to me is Molson Coors in Burton.
I don't think AB Inbev will be super-impressed with this closure given their recent investment in Bass although given the recent supply problems, they may favour a change of brewery.