Molson Coors to shut UK brewery

Molson Coors UK has announced the closure of its brewery in Hampshire, putting 100 jobs at risk.

Molson Coors’ brewery in Alton, Hampshire, will close in May.

A Molson Coors spokesman told the BBC that the company was trying to “identify alternative proposals for the site” in Alton and was working with employees to “mitigate job losses”.

The closure follows Heineken’s decision to move its production back in-house, which Molson Coors said had contributed to its decision to close the brewery. It said its had been unable to replace work lost from Heineken. The 50-year-old brewery in Alton will close in May next year.

Molson Coors, while closing one site, is in the process of investing £75 million in its Burton Brewery – one of the biggest single capital investments in British brewing for decades. The capital will be used to improve brewing technology at the brewery and its infrastructure as part of a five year redevelopment plan to support the production of 1.2 billion pints of beer a year.

Molson Coors brews and distributes products under the Heineken, Amstel Light, Murphy’s, Newcastle Brown Ale, Strongbow cider, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Chill, Milwaukee’s Best, and Milwaukee’s Best Dry brands.