Welsh breweries on the up as West and SE England hit by closures

Wales is leading the UK in terms of brewery growth this year, while the West and the South East of England are seeing their numbers decline.

According to figures released today by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), Wales saw its net number rising by +5 overall, whilst both the West of England and the South East both saw brewery figures falling by -4 overall in the first three months of 2023.

South West and North East England each had a decline in their overall brewery numbers of -2, with Scotland seeing a smaller decline, now with -1 brewery less overall.

The East and Midlands regions have each seen a +2 growth while the North West of England and Northern Ireland have stayed steady and finished the first quarter of 2023 on the same number as they started it, with closures counteracted by new openings.

SIBA chief executive Andy Slee said: “It is very positive to see some areas of the UK now in growth and a national figure which has beaten the odds to remain relatively stable, despite the challenges faced by brewers.“

Slee added: “Small breweries have a hugely positive impact on their local community, providing jobs, raising money for charity, supporting local initiatives, and providing access to the freshly-brewed local beers that are now in such demand across the UK. All small independent breweries deserve your support.”

Yesterday, speaking to db, industry sources described the many British brewery closures the sector has witnessed and reiterated how many craft brewery closures actually go unaccounted for on trackers and monitors due to not being registered via Companies House.

The SIBA UK Brewery Tracker, which is cross-referenced by SIBA regional directors in each of the eight SIBA Regions across the UK, considers a number of factors and data-sources alongside its own data analysis and research, including, but not limited to, HMRC registrations.

The full list from the SIBA Brewery Tracker Q1 2023, which covers the period from 1 January 23 – 31 March 2023, has stated that the overall number of British breweries currently stands at 1,824, a drop of just four according to the organisation. The full list that SIBA has produced on regional closures and openings can be found below.

SIBA Regions:
East: 180 (+2)
Midlands: 284 (+2)
North East 263 (-2)
North West 239 (+1)
Scotland 144 (-2)
South East 331 (-3)
South West 205 (-2)
Wales & West 178 (+1)

Geographical:
Wales 107 (+5)
West 71 (-4)
Northern Ireland 30 (+1)
North West 209 (-)
East: 180 (+2)
Midlands: 284 (+2)
North East 263 (-2)
Scotland 144 (-2)
South East 331 (-3)
South West 205 (-2)