The SIBA UK Brewery Tracker showed net closures averaged less than one brewery a week between January and June 2026, compared with nearly three a week during 2025.
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Across openings and closures, the UK recorded a net loss of 16 breweries in the first six months of the year. This compares with a net loss of 137 breweries during 2025.
SIBA chief executive Andy Slee said: “The figures released today are a sign that brewery closure numbers may be beginning to stabilise following a number of particularly tough years, but for most breweries the struggles are not behind them.
“Brewing businesses which have managed to weather the storm are seeing strong demand for independent beer, but profitability is still a concern with lack of access to pubs, high taxation and high production costs hitting brewers.”
Access to pubs
SIBA said last year saw record closures across the UK as breweries were hit by rising costs and lingering Covid debt.
The trade body has called for an increase in Draught Relief, which offers a lower rate of duty for draught beer mainly sold in pubs.
It has also urged the Government to prioritise its market access review, which is looking at ways to improve access to pubs for small independent breweries.
Slee added: “Consumer demand for indie beer remains really strong, but getting beers on the bar is tougher than ever with brewers on average not able to access 62% of the pubs in their local market.
“Independent beer offers quality, variety, and a range of styles and flavours, but bars are dominated by a handful of mega brands.”
Mixed picture
The tracker showed a mixed regional picture, with four of the nine UK regions recording growth in brewery numbers.
The North West, South East and Wales each recorded net growth of three breweries, while the South West increased by one.
However, Scotland recorded a net loss of nine breweries, followed by the North East, down eight, the Midlands and Northern Ireland, both down four, and the East of England, down one.
Slee said: “It is encouraging to see four areas of UK growing their number of breweries in the first half of 2026, let’s hope this is the sign of things to come.”
The latest tracker follows SIBA’s Independent Beer Report 2026, published in April, which found almost half of independent brewers were focused solely on survival.
That report also showed 32% of independent brewers expected turnover to fall this year, while 62% said they were unable to access pubs in their local market because of domination from global brewers.
The latest data follows a difficult period for independent brewers, with The Morning Advertiser (MA) reporting earlier this year that Queer Brewing was set to cease trading, Redemption Brewing had entered administration and Adnams had closed five retail stores amid sustained cost pressure.
