The firm claims it is not sustainable to keep the brewery open

Ms McCarthy met with InBev chief Philip Malpass on Tuesday in Brussels.

InBev said in September it planned to close the Manchester brewery saying it was uneconomic to brew the beer at one site and package it at another.

Mr Malpass said it was the trend of more people choosing to drink lager than ale that had affected Boddingtons.

Arlene McCarthy said the company should reverse its decision and get behind the award winning cask ale produced at the site.

It's an ale, and not as many are drinking ale Philip Malpass, InBev

She added despite a large advertising and promotion budget, InBev had not promoted the cask ale brewed at the Strangeways brewery leaving it to the workforce.

"The workforce has been working with one arm tied behind their back.

"They have shown the commitment to retain the site increasing the volume of production and it is disappointing that the company has not made the effort to increase and promote sales despite the cask ale winning an award from CAMRA," she said.

Mr Malpass said it was unfair to say InBev had not promoted the ale.

"The amount of money we put behind Boddingtons per barrel is more than we put into Stella Artois per barrel," he said.

Site closing

"It's an ale, and not as many are drinking ale.

"We've pumped extra money into the marketing but we are a victim of that shift in consumer trends."

The site is set to shut in 2005, with the loss of 55 jobs, because bosses said it will reduce distribution costs.

InBev plans to brew cask ale in Manchester switching its production to Hyde Brewery, Moss Side.

However most production will move to Lancashire, Scotland and Wales.