Molson Coors has nailed down its plans for the production for its Sharp’s products with the closure of the brand’s brewery confirmed.
The US giant will shut the Sharp’s brewery in Cornwall in south-west England by the end of the year.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Molson Coors had announced in February a plan to close the site – which it described as “no longer financially sustainable” – and embarked on talks with staff.
At the time, the Carling brand owner said it was still “committed to the Sharp’s brands” and was assessing how to brew the products after the site’s closure.
Molson Coors said yesterday (29 September) it has agreed “heads of terms” for UK brewer Camerons to take on Sharp’s cask brands including Doom Bar and Atlantic Pale Ale.
The production of Sharp’s keg and packaged brands will continue at Molson Coors’ breweries in the English towns of Burton and Tadcaster.
The closure of the Sharp’s brewery, which Molson Coors acquired in 2011 for £20m, will lead to up 40 staff being made redundant. At the time of the February announcement, Molson Coors said around 50 posts at the brewery were at risk.
Simon Kerry, the MD of the brewer’s operations in the UK and Ireland, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult period for everyone involved with Sharp’s. The brewery has been a huge part of our business for the last 15 years and is home to some of the most passionate and talented people in the beer industry.
“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts and continued investment over the years, the brewery is no longer financially sustainable and we have had to take decisive action to help support long-term growth in our UK and Ireland business.”
Back in February, Molson Coors also outlined plans to close a “national contact centre” in Cardiff by the end of this year. The Staropramen brand owner said nearly 90% of Molson Coors on-trade customer orders were happening via its e-commerce site My Molson Coors.
In 2025, the Coors Lite brewer saw its group net sales fall 4.2%, or by 4.8% on a constant-currency basis, to $11.14bn.
Net sales in the company’s second reporting segment – EMEA and APAC – were up 1.8%. aided by exchange rates. At constant currency, sales fell 2.3%, with volumes down.
In the first half of the year, Molson Coors’ group net sales decreased 1.9% to $4.3bn, or by 2.1% at constant currencies.
The group’s EMEA and APAC business unit saw net sales increase 2.3%, boosted by exchange rates. Constant-currency net sales dipped 1.7%. Molson Coors reported lower volumes in the UK in the second quarter amid “soft market demand and a heightened competitive landscape”.
