Carlsberg seeks Yorkshire partner to brew Tetley's
Carlsberg said its "clear preference" is to find a partner in Yorkshire to brew Tetley's following the decision to close its Leeds brewery.
The Danish brewer announced the closure of the Joshua Tetley brewery this morning blaming plummeting beer sales and increase in input costs and duty.
But the brewer said it was it remained "fully committed" to both the Tetley beers and brewing in the UK market.
"It is our clear preference to brew Tetley in Yorkshire if we can find a suitable partner," said Carlsberg UK marketing director Darran Britton. "If not it will still be brewed in the UK. Tetley remains an absolute key part of the business and we are absolutely committed to it.
"Our master brewers will work hard to ensure that where ever it is brewed, it will have the same taste for drinkers."
Britton said the decision to close the brewery had not been taken lightly and reflected the tough market conditions at present.
"In the current climate there is no sense in Carlsberg having two UK breweries (Leeds and Northampton) and Leeds was the smaller of the two."
He added: "The increasing cost of raw materials, duty increases and the increasing regulated pressure on alcohol has created a very tough environment for all national brewers, not just Carlsberg."
