Dark Star closure 'cause for sorrow and sadness'

Dark Star was bought by Fuller’s in 2018 and was then taken over by Asahi just under a year later when Fuller’s sold its beer arm to the Japanese brewer for £250m.

The decision by Asahi to close Partridge Green brewery​ was because it was operating “significantly below capacity”.

A spokesperson for Asahi said: “We have put forward a proposal for Dark Star to cease trading at its current site, in Partridge Green, West Sussex, as of 31 December 2022 and for operations for the brand to move to the Meantime brewery in Greenwich.”

“This is not a step we have taken lightly, however, there are significant challenges in the current economic and operating environment that make this the right course of action for the business and the brand."

Not sustainable

They added: “The Dark Star site operates significantly below capacity, which is unfortunately not sustainable.”

However, Asahi went on to say the company believed in Dark Star and remained committed to building for its future success. Furthermore, the brewer’s Dark Star beers will remain the same.

But, CAMRA has hit back at the decision and stated while moving beer production to the Meantime brewery in Greenwich was preferable to stopping producing it, it was concerned for the future of cask beers.

Award-winning brewery

CAMRA national director Gillian Hough said: “Moving the production of Dark Star from the brewery’s home in West Sussex is cause great sorrow and sadness.

“Dark Star is a brewery close to many CAMRA members’ hearts and this decision is yet another example of global brewers playing chess with their assets.

“Dark Star is an award-winning brewery. Continuing the production of Dark Star’s range from the Meantime Brewery in Greenwich is certainly preferable to it disappearing altogether but it is unclear how traditional cask production will fit into Meantime’s portfolio as this is not something it currently does.”

She said years of consolidation of large parts of the brewing industry into the hands of a few global players had been to the detriment of our brewing heritage.

Hough added: “This worrying trend of further domination of global brewers is putting choice at the bar and the diversity of British beer at risk and needs constant monitoring by the UK’s competition authorities.”