Interbrew to close Belfast brewery

Interbrew is to shut down the Bass Ireland Ulster Brewery after failing to find a buyer for the business.

The closure of Northern Ireland's only remaining major brewery in January next year will see the loss of up to 85 jobs and bring to an end more than a century of brewing on the site at Andersonstown, in west Belfast.

Interbrew warned in July that the site, which brews Bass and Tennent's Lager, as well as kegging Stella Artois for the Irish trade, would have to close if a buyer could not be found.

Despite offering potential buyers a sweetener in the form of a long-term supply contract with Interbrew UK to brew and package beer for Ireland, no deal has been forthcoming. The loss of a soft drinks bottling contract with Lucozade last year has sealed the fate of the operation. Interbrew UK supply chain director David Randall said: "The resulting increased costs to the remaining brewery and kegging operations, along with a general overcapacity within the industry, meant that a viable manufacturing operation would no longer be sustainable."

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who has led talks with Interbrew to secure the future of the brewery, said the decision was a blow to the regeneration of the area. "Over the past year we met with Interbrew, the British and Irish governments, potential buyers and worked with local trade unions to try and save these jobs," he said. Interbrew has offered to relocate 20 staff elsewhere in the company.