Brewery closure confirmed with 40 job losses

The closure of Sharp's Brewery in north Cornwall will go ahead in December, with up to 40 jobs set to be lost, owner Molson Coors has confirmed.

Molson Coors said it had invested more than £20m in the Rock site since buying the brewery in 2011, but changing consumer tastes and continued pressure on the cask ale market meant the operation was "no longer financially sustainable".

Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool is the firm's prefered brewing partner for key Sharp's cask brands, including Doom Bar.

Production of Sharp's keg and packaged beers will continue at Molson Coors sites in Burton and Tadcaster.

Molson Coors proposed the closure earlier this year, and said the decision "follows the conclusion of a consultation process that launched in February, and throughout which every alternative has been fully considered".

Simon Kerry, managing director of Molson Coors in the UK and Ireland, 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."

The Campaign for Real Ale said beer marketed as Cornish should continue to be brewed in Cornwall.

Dave Pedlar, chairman of CAMRA Kernow, said: "This is a betrayal of the founders of Sharp's, the 40 people whose jobs are at risk, and the locals that have supported this business for decades.

"We've known for a while that the Sharp's cask production was moving up country, 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."

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