Molson Coors has confirmed its Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall will close at the end of 2026, following the conclusion of a six-month-long consultation with employees.
The closure would “regrettably” result in up to 40 redundancies, Molson Coors said, adding affected employees would be “supported through the transition and in finding new employment opportunities”.
The decision had been taken in light of “changing consumer tastes” and “a challenged cask ale category”, Molson Coors said.
Despite £20m of investment since 2011, the Sharp’s Brewery was “no longer financially sustainable”, it added.
Production of cask beers including Doom Bar, Sea Fury and Atlantic Pale Ale will now shift to Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool, with production of Sharp’s keg and packaged brands set to continue at Molson Coors’ Burton and Tadcaster breweries.
Simon Kerry, managing director, UK & Ireland at MCBC, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult period for everyone involved with Sharp’s. The brewery has been a huge part of our business for the last 15 years and is home to some of the most passionate and talented people in the beer industry.
“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts and continued investment over the years, the brewery is no longer financially sustainable, and we have had to take decisive action to help support long-term growth in our UK and Ireland business.”
Consumer organisation Camra reacted angrily to the closure, branding the decision “a betrayal” of the brewery’s founders, its employees and “the locals that have supported this business for decades”.
“Hartlepool is 417 miles away, which is as far from Rock as Brussels,” said Camra chairman Dave Pedlar. “We need ‘pasty-style’ consumer protection laws that stop Molson Coors from continuing to market these beers as Cornish.”
Camra CEO Tom Stainer added: “It’s entirely 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. Once again, global brewers are closing breweries, trashing our reputation as a great brewing nation, and misleading ordinary drinkers.
“This is why we’ve launched our new campaign to expose ‘Big Beer’ in the UK, their misleading marketing tactics, and demand that the Competition & Markets Authority investigate how global corporations dominate the beer market. We need decisive action to deliver a fairer beer market for independent brewers and ordinary drinkers.”
Molson Coors had previously announced in February that it planned to shutter the Sharp’s Brewery.
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