Charles Wells looks to return pubco to brewery site

Charles Wells, the Bedford brewer and pub operator, could move its pub operation from its existing premises on the purpose built Morewood Centre back to the group's brewery site.

The possible move of staff follows the announcement today that Wells & Young's (W&Y) - the brewing joint venture between Charles Wells and Young's - proposes to outsource its dray fleet and associated warehousing to logistics group Keuhne + Nagel Drinks Logistics (KNDL).

Speaking to thepublican.com​, Wells & Young's managing director Nigel McNally confirmed the company would be looking at whether to offload the Morewood site, which cost around £12m to build and was opened in 2007.

"The pubco can stay there," McNally said, "but we are reviewing bringing them back to the brewery site and looking at selling or leasing the site."

McNally said the Morewood centre was originally built to house Corona stock, one of W&Y's key lager brands, as well as the group's secondary distribution operation.

McNally said once completed the proposal to outsource the distribution to KNDL would confirm W&Y's status "as a national brewer", since the logistics firm distributed the likes of Scottish & Newcastle and Britvic.

He added there could be eight jobs available at KNDL and four with the Bedford brewer, if the proposals were accepted. No jobs have been offered at this stage, however.

Once completed and signed off by both companies' boards, McNally said the outsourcing should commence from June this year.