The number of UK breweries becoming insolvent has tripled in the past year, with smaller brewers worst hit, according to data cited by tax and audit firm Mazars. Using Insolvency Service data, the company said the number of insolvencies rose to 45 in the year to March 31, 2023, up from 15 in the previous year. Paul Maloney, associate director at Mazars, said the insolvencies…

Several brewers have spoken out against online beer retailer Bier Company, saying they are owed thousands of pounds in unpaid invoices. Bier Company is the trading name of Bier Nuts, a business founded by Thomas Renshaw and Stefan White, who started out by selling bar snacks to pubs. When the pandemic hit, the pair pivoted to online beer sales and a subscription club. The founders…

Manchester-based brewer Beer Nouveau compiled a list of 83 British breweries that closed in 2022 in the wake of Covid and soaring costs. The list comprised only those who’d gone public about their closure and didn’t include Beer Nouveau itself, which revealed in October that it was calling time. Among the (relatively) big independents to go were Kelham Island, Twisted Wheel and…

Two independent breweries have announced closure plans amid soaring costs, as multinational brewers also feel the pinch.  Warrington-based brewery, Twisted Wheel Brew, explained its decision to close was based on the impact of Covid restrictions as well as the cost-of-living crisis, which have made “business unviable”. The brewery had been active since February 2020.  “With sales falling, general consumer confidence low, and further increases…

A new report produced for the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has said pubs and breweries will face major losses and closures if the government’s energy bill relief scheme is not extended beyond March 31. The report, by Frontier Economics, found that energy bills returning to their regular rate post-March would put pubs and brewers at a loss of 20% on average. The report…

The trade organisation for beer and pubs has called on the Government to act, after a major supplier of CO2 to the industry announced a temporary closure. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said today that CF Industries, which is the UK’s last fertiliser plant, would halt production. According to the BBC, the company said rising energy costs made production “uneconomical”…

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) have called on the government to protect the beer industry as energy prices rise. In a joint letter addressed to the Chancellor, the organisations highlighted the struggles small brewers are facing in light of inflation. The letter recommended that the government places an “urgent cap on energy prices for small businesses”…