Site best known for cask Doom Bar ale
Sharp’s brewery’s flagship ale, Doom Bar (Image: DCM)
One of the best-known breweries in the South West is set to close with the loss of dozens of jobs.
Canadian-American owner Molson Coors Beverage Company is proposing to close Sharp’s Brewery in Rock near Padstow in Cornwall. It has now entered consultation with staff and says 50 jobs are at risk. The brewery is known as the traditional home of Doom Bar, the UK’s best-selling cask ale.
Molson Coors said the proposed closure is part of broader proposals to “reshape the UK and Ireland business to unlock efficiencies and cost-savings to fuel the company’s long-term growth”. The overall proposals could result in some 200 redundancies from across the Molson Coors business in the two countries, CornwallLive reported.
Molson Coors acquired the Sharp’s Brewery site in 2011 and has since invested more than £20m in the site. The group said the closure decision came only after exploring every alternative option for the site.
Simon Kerry, managing director for UK & Ireland at MCBC, said: “The proposed closure of Sharp’s Brewery has not been an easy decision for us to make. It has been a significant part of our UK business for 15 years, with an exceptional and committed team who take such huge pride in their craft.
“We have invested significantly in the site and the Sharp’s brands over that time and have taken every step we can to try and avoid this outcome. However, the site is no longer financially sustainable as part of our national production network.
“Our focus now is on supporting our Rock-based colleagues in every way we can throughout this process.”
Sharp’s Doom Bar dominates the UK cask ale market with more than 144,000 hectolitres sold in 2023. While originating in Cornwall, much of the bottled version is now produced in Burton-upon-Trent with Doom Bar in casks currently brewed in Rock.
Molson Coors said that the closure of the Cornish brewery would not mean the end of its brands such as Doom Bar, Sea Fury, Offshore pilsner, or Atlantic pale ale.
A spokesperson for the firm said the popular beers could be produced by other breweries in its portfolio. They said: “As the brewer consults on the proposals it remains committed to the Sharp’s brands. Molson Coors is in the process of exploring a number of alternative production routes, including the possibility of producing them in partnership.”
Sharp’s Brewery, through its flagship Doom Bar ale, has several rugby union sponsorship deals, including partnerships with Ospreys, Dragons RFC, and the British & Irish Lions. The brand also support rugby clubs in Cornwall, is a long-standing sponsor of Surfers Against Sewage’s beach cleans and also supports Surf Life Saving Cornwall and the Blue Flag awards.
The Molson Coors spokesperson added: “We want to reiterate that these changes are only proposals at this stage and that Molson Coors remains committed to the Sharp’s brands.”
Molson Coors was formed in 2005 through the merger of Molson of Canada and Coors of the United States. It owns some of the country’s best-known beer brands including Blue Moon, Cobra, Carling and Staropramen.