Crawl highlights perceived closure threat

September 13, 2006: CAMRA members toured Kimberley, Nottinghamshire on Saturday to campaign for the retention of the local Hardys & Hansons brewery.

Brewing giant Greene King has now completed its takeover of the Nottinghamshire brewer, and CAMRA fears that it could close Hardys & Hansons to save money.

A petition calling for the brewery to remain open has already been signed by 1,200 people, and a further 400 people have lobbied Greene King.

CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner said: “Hardys and Hansons is just the latest in a string of takeovers by Greene King that has seen their pub estate swell to around 2,680 nationwide. This is extremely damaging for consumer choice as drinkers are faced with the same Greene King beers in every one of those pubs.

“Only by consumers letting Greene King know that Hardys & Hansons has their support do we have any chance of saving this historic and highly regarded Nottinghamshire brewery and its beers.”

Nottingham CAMRA spokesman Andrew Ludlow added: “The Hardys and Hansons brewery has provided Nottinghamshire with excellent beers for 174 years. It would be a very sad day indeed if Greene King chose to close this brewery and brew the beers 117 miles away in Bury St Edmunds."