Brewery closure 'nail in coffin' for 'beer capital'

"Devastating," "completely and utterly disgusting" and "a nail in the coffin".

People living in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire have not minced their words in reaction to the news that Marston's Brewery could close in 2027.

Described as the "beer capital of England", Burton was once home to more than 30 breweries and Marston's has had links with the town for some 200 years.

Around 310 people are set to be affected by the proposals. The BBC has been in the area gathering a sense of what the announcement means for the people living and working there.

"[The town] has gone downhill - it's losing all it's breweries, it's losing it's identity, it's terrible," said resident Angela Carpenter.

The history of beer in Burton can be traced back to the 11th Century, when monks first started brewing it there.

Times, brewery owners Carlsberg Britvic said, have changed. Announcing the closure, they said the "stark reality" was that UK cask ale volumes had more than halved in less than a decade and "this trend looks set to continue across the UK".

But according to the boss of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), cask beer is far from dying out completely.

Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said he rejected the notion that "cask beer is a dying thing," and said rates at which Gen Z consumers were buying cask ale was up 50% year on year.

Announcing the news on Thursday, Carlsberg Britvic CEO Paul Davies said the proposal was "by no means a reflection on any of our people", adding that the brewery would continue to operate during what he described as a "transition period" while details of a consultation were confirmed.

The area's MP Jacob Collier told BBC Radio Derby the news was a blow for the town and said there had been fears this would happen when Carlsberg took over the brewing site in 2024, citing other closures.

Collier added he was concerned about the iconic 'Bass' brand, adding: "[The] idea that Bass would not be brewed in Burton is unthinkable."

Asked whether Burton could still be considered the capital of brewing, Collier said: "It is, we have the most brewery jobs and pub companies here" - but added that the area need support from government and the wider sector.

Meanwhile people in Burton have described the mood as "glum".

Melvin Boss, 61, said: 'It's devastating for the whole town, a lot of people work there. I'm guessing they're going to start knocking the place down and start building houses."

Jackie Jones, 62, said a lot of people would be sad to see it go.

"I think people drink differently now to how they did forty years ago," she said. "In the pubs it was all bitter, now it's all lagers."

She added the loss of Marstons would "strip Burton of it's brewing identity."

Jessica, 32, told the BBC she was concerned about what the news meant for young peoples' job prospects in the town.

"It would seem a shame, this is what the town is [known] for," she said. "It's a shame for the locals, with young people struggling to get jobs as it is".

There have been calls on the government to reduce rates like national insurance to help hospitality firms, as well as cutting taxes on beer consumed in pubs.

Keith Bott, who runs Titanic brewery in Stoke-on-Trent, said the chancellor had "an opportunity to change habits, and get people back to the Great British pub".

The leader of Staffordshire County Council, Reform councillor Martin Murray said this closure amounted to the "death of the birthplace of beer" and said the local authority would work across political parties "keep them [the breweries] there".

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Treasury said: "We know it will be a concerning time for workers at Marston's, and we recognise the impact these proposals may have on these workers, their families and the local community as the company begins consulting."

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