A DRINKS giant claims there is “no viable path forward” for one of its much-loved craft brewery’s as it prepares to close next month.
Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has announced it is shutting Ringwood Brewery in January in a move that has been branded a “tragedy” for customers.
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The Hampshire site was put up for sale in June this year after the firm said its location in a residential area made expansion a challenge.
But CMBC revealed it has failed to find a buyer for both the site and brand.
As a result, the brewing company will be moving the production of its ales elsewhere – and 14 staff now face an uncertain future.
And this is a decision that has come under fire from Anthony Swift, who headed a group of private investors that tried to purchase the business.
The former City corporate finance advisor told the Daily Echo: “This catastrophic announcement speaks volumes about the state of corporate Britain in the 2020s.
“Just ten years ago, Ringwood Brewery was operating at capacity, producing about 42,000 barrels of beer a year.
“Since then, it has lost 75% of its production and its soul.
“There has been no support for the brands – when did you last see a Ringwood Brewery beer glass or a beer mat in a pub?”
Ringwood Brewery often took part in the New Forest Show at New Park, Brockenhurst.
But along with other great events like the Ellingham Show and the Great Dorset Steam Fair, its sponsorships have been cancelled.
Add to that a decrease in employment and the end of brewery tours and it makes for a sorry state of affairs.
“Employment on the site has plummeted as operations have been corporately centralised and production of the bottled beers has been relocated to Burton-on-Trent,” Anthony added.
“The much-loved brewery tours have been cancelled as they are, in corporate doublespeak, ‘non-core’ for Carlsberg Marston’s.
“Even the production volumes are now measured in hectolitres.”
Mr Swift’s plan with consortium was to focus on reviving Ringwood Brewery as an independent brewer of local craft ales.
There were also plans to return as a sponsor of popular events.
“We would have restored employment from the current 14 on site to probably 30 or 40 people,” explained Anthony.
“CMBC’s decision is a tragedy for the customers of Ringwood Brewery but above all for the town of Ringwood, which looks set to lose a stack of jobs, a great visitor attraction, and a flagship local employer.”
A spokesperson for CMBC said “a formal and rigorous bidding process” took place but it would have been irresponsible to continue under the current circumstances.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, they added: “Over the past six months, despite our best efforts, we were unable to secure a credible offer which met our bidding threshold, and had to conclude there was no viable path forward for Ringwood.
“The wellbeing of our team was paramount. Continuing the bid process under such circumstances would not have been responsible.”
Like many other breweries, Ringwood Brewery has been struggling to adapt to rising bills and costs to run the site.
The cost of living crisis has also limited consumers to what they can spend in-store, contributing to a reduced income.
But the closure of Ringwood Brewery is just the latest in a long list of brewing travesty’s up and down the country.
Last month, CMBC called last orders on one of its most famous sites – the world-renowned Wychwood Brewery.
Famed for Hobgoblin Ale, the factory in Witney, Oxfordshire, shut its door for the final time in November.
Shortly after, the Temperance Street Brewery in Manchester shut up shop after more than a decade on the high street.
The tap-room, located on the outskirts of the city centre, closed less than a year after it was taken over by new owners.
