Molson Coors, which acquired Sharp’s in 2011 and has since invested more than £20m into the business, confirmed the site would cease production at the end of 2026, putting up to 40 roles at risk.
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The decision followed a six-month consultation with employees, launched in February, with affected team members supported through the transition and in finding new roles.
Molson Coors UK & Ireland managing director Simon Kerry said the decision was “incredibly difficult”, adding the brewery had been a “huge part” of the business for the last 15 years.
Following the closure, production of Sharp’s keg and packaged brands will move to Molson Coors’ Burton and Tadcaster breweries.
However, its cask production will be relocated to Cameron’s Brewery in Hartlepool, County Durham, more than 400 miles from the Cornish brewery.
Legal protections
CAMRA Cornwall raised fears the brewing giant could follow in the footsteps of Carlsberg, which markets Wainwright as a ‘Lake District Original’ despite brewing it more than 100 miles away in Wolverhampton.
The consumer organisation called for protections to stop Sharp’s beers being marketed as ‘Cornish’ once brewed in Hartlepool, similar to the Cornish pasty’s protected status.
Under the protection, the Cornish pasty name can only be used for products meeting specific requirements, including being prepared in Cornwall.
CAMRA Cornwall chair Dave Pedlar said: “This is a betrayal of the founders of Sharp’s, the 40 people whose jobs are at risk, and the locals that have supported this business for decades.
“We’ve known for a while Sharp’s cask production was moving out of the Duchy, but Hartlepool is 417 miles away, which is as far from Rock as Brussels.”
Decisive action
This comes after the launch of CAMRA’s wider campaign to “expose” so-called ‘Big Beer’ in the UK, which argues global brewers have too much influence over the market at the expense of independent producers and consumer choice.
As part of the campaign, the organisation has called for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate the UK’s on-trade beer market.
CAMRA chief executive Tom Stainer added: “It’s entirely ridiculous a beer named after a sandbank in the Camel Estuary, and marketed as a ‘Cornish original’, is now going to be made in Hartlepool.
“Once again, global brewers are closing breweries, trashing our reputation as a great brewing nation, and misleading ordinary drinkers.
“We need decisive action to deliver a fairer beer market for independent brewers and ordinary drinkers.”
