Molson Coors has announced plans to close its Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall and national contact centre in Cardiff by the end of 2026, putting 200 jobs at risk.
The changes would “aim to unlock efficiencies and cost savings” and drive long-term growth, the Carling brewer said.
Molson Coors acquired Sharp’s Brewery in 2011 and has invested over £20m in the site over the past 15 years. The decision to close the brewery came “only after exploring every alternative option to make the site financially sustainable”, the supplier said.
Molson Coors remained committed to the Sharp’s brands and was “in the process of exploring a number of alternative production routes”, including the possibility of contract brewing, it added.
“The proposed closure of Sharp’s Brewery has not been an easy decision for us to make,” said Simon Kerry, MD, UK & Ireland at Molson Coors. “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.”
Meanwhile, with 90% of Molson Coors’ on-trade customer orders now being placed through its dedicated e-commerce platform, the supplier said it was also proposing to close its UK national contact centre by the end of the year.
Moving forward, customer service would be fulfilled by teams at Molson Coors’ UK&I HQ “supported by the capabilities of the My Molson Coors site”, it said.
“As our customers’ purchasing habits have become more digitally led over the past few years, we have evolved our business as part of our digitisation journey,” Kerry said. “The proposed closure of our national contact centre is no reflection on the brilliant work of our teams, but is in response to these changes. We remain committed to providing the highest levels of service to our customers and these proposals do not change that.”
Reflecting on the reshaping of the business, Kerry added: “We understand that long-term success requires decisive action in response to market evolution. These proposals are founded on building on our strong foundations and reshaping our business for growth.
“By making difficult choices now, we can unlock greater opportunities to invest in our business, our people and our brands to help us and our customers to grow sustainably and for the long term.
“This is clearly a very difficult time for our colleagues, and we will be doing everything we can to support our teams through this process.”
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