Greene King to close Hardys & Hansons brewery

October 5, 2006: There has been an angry reaction to the news that Greene King is to close its newly-acquired Hardys & Hansons brewery by the end of the year.

Despite thousands of Hardys & Hansons drinkers signing a petition to keep the 174-year old brewery in Kimberley open, Greene King announced that brewing will cease by Christmas and be moved to Bury St Edmunds. The Kimberley site will be retained, but as little more than a distribution centre for Greene King in the midlands and the north.

Members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in Nottingham have reacted with anger. Andrew Ludlow, of the Save Hardys & Hansons Brewery Group said: “Only weeks after acquiring this remarkable Victorian brewery, Greene King has ignored calls from beer drinkers across the UK to keep brewing in Kimberley.

"We have not given up and we will continue our campaign until Greene King reverses its decision.”

CAMRA is calling on beer lovers and its 84,000 members to support its campaign to keep the brewery open by sending postcards which condemn the closure to Greene King, or by signing its petition at www.camra.org.uk.

Mike Benner, CAMRA’s chief executive, said: “We regard this as an unnecessary loss. Despite a history of brewery closures, Greene King has shown with its acquisition of Belhaven that it can integrate other breweries into a growing empire. We urge them to follow this approach with the Kimberley brewery.

“Britain’s brewing heritage is being slowly eroded by a seemingly endless string of closures through consolidation and drinkers across the UK need to join us in opposing this destruction.

“We’ll be calling on Greene King to maintain the Hardys & Hansons real ales including the bitter. We don’t want to see Hardys & Hansons beers being replaced by Greene King beers in the pubs of Nottingham because they are no longer available. Loss of consumer choice is almost always the end result of consolidation.”

“Greene King is a major brewer and promoter of real ale, but it has to listen to real ale drinkers, reverse its decision, invest in the Hardys & Hansons brewery and promote genuine Hardys & Hansons beers for future generations.”

Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand explained: "We concluded with regret that it doesn’t make economic sense to continue brewing at Kimberley, and sadly this means that the brewery will close at the end of the year.

"Greene King invests more in cask beer than any other brewer but, to remain viable, returns have to be delivered on this investment. The best way to ensure that Hardys and Hansons’ brands continue to flourish in a challenging ale market is to transfer brewing to Bury St Edmunds.

"The head office functions will also be moved there by the end of December. This decision in no way reflects on the dedication and commitment of the Hardys and Hansons employees, which has been underlined by their professionalism since the acquisition announcement.

“Beer matching will begin shortly and we’ll soon be beginning the painstaking process of brewing trials and taste-profiling. We’ll ensure that customers can continue to drink the same great beer in the future.

"We have a track record in making a success of the brands we acquire and look forward to offering Dark Mild, Cool and Olde Trip to a much wider audience.

“Around 80 of the company’s 2,200 jobs are at risk of redundancy and we are committed to minimising the final number and offering the best possible support to those affected."