US brewing giant Molson Coors Beverage Company has proposed to shut its Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall in south-west England.
The move was announced as part of broader plans to shake-up the group’s UK and Ireland business, which could result in around 200 redundancies once talks are completed.
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In a statement yesterday (25 February), Molson Coors said it was proposing to close Sharp’s Brewery, which produces brands like Doom Bar and Offshore Pilsner, by the end of this year.
Around 50 roles are at risk of being cut at Sharp’s Brewery specifically, the business confirmed to Just Drinks.
It added in its statement the plan “comes only after exploring every alternative option to make the site financially sustainable as part of the company’s UK production network in the long-term”.
The proposal, which also includes shutting its a site in Cardiff, looks “to unlock efficiencies and cost-savings to fuel its long-term growth”, the group said.
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By GlobalDataMolson Coors acquired Sharp’s Brewery in Rock, Cornwall in 2011 for £20m (then $32.4m).
The Carling and Staropramen brewer said it was still “committed to the Sharp’s brands” and that it was assessing “a number of alternative production routes” such as brewing the brands “in partnership”.
Simon Kerry, managing director for Molson Coors’ operations in the UK and Ireland, said: “The proposed closure of Sharp’s Brewery has not been an easy decision for us to make. It has been a significant part of our UK business for 15 years, with an exceptional and committed team who take such huge pride in their craft.
“We have invested significantly in the site and the Sharp’s brands over that time and have taken every step we can to try and avoid this outcome. However, the site is no longer financially sustainable as part of our national production network.”
The closure of the “national contact centre” in Cardiff has also been proposed to happen by the end of this year, with nearly 90% of Molson Coors on-trade customer orders now happening via its e-commerce site My Molson Coors, the business said.
Kerry added: “As a brewer with more than 200 years of experience, we understand that long-term success requires decisive action in response to market evolution.
“These proposals are founded on building on our strong foundations and reshaping our business for growth. By making difficult choices now, we can unlock greater opportunities to invest in our business, our people and our brands to help us and our customers to grow sustainably and for the long term.
“This is clearly a very difficult time for our colleagues, and we will be doing everything we can to support our teams through this process.”
In its annual results for 2025, the Coors Lite brewer saw its net sales fall 4.2%, or by 4.8% on a constant-currency basis, to $11.14bn.
In the Americas, net sales were down 5.7% at $8.71bn amid lower volumes in the US. 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.
Molson Coors also booked an annual operating loss of $2.34bn and a net loss of $2.14bn amid impairment charges worth almost $4bn that were recorded in its third quarter. Underlying pre-tax income and underlying EPS were also both down.
For this year, the North American brewer said net sales at constant currency could grow 1% but could also fall by the same amount. It is also expecting to see a decline in underlying profits before income tax ranging from 15-18%, again at constant currency. It has also forecasted a dip in underlying EPS in the range of 11-15%.
