Boddingtons was marketed as "the cream of Manchester"

Owner Interbrew, which announced its closure plans in September 2004, aims to move its cask ale production in Manchester to Hydes Brewery, Moss Side.

But the majority of production work will be moving to Lancashire, Scotland and Wales.

Staff fought hard to save the brewery which produced the beer marketed as "the Cream of Manchester".

Earlier this week, the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) had claimed Interbrew had reneged on a promise to redeploy staff from the site.

But the firm says it is moving 12 workers to other breweries and more than half of the brewery's 55 employees have found new jobs.

Coronation Street star Bruce Jones joined the fight to save the brewery

The Manchester brewery was set up by grain merchants Thomas Caister and Thomas Fry.

The economic emergence of Manchester in the late 1700s led to an increase in employment, and the pair realised that the workers would need liquid refreshment after a hard working day.

Strangeways was chosen for the brewery because its location would mean that they would be able to avoid the tax on grain levied by the local mills.

The Boddington family became involved when Henry Boddington was employed as a "traveller" for the brewery in 1832, and then became partner in the brewery. He took out a loan in 1853 and became the sole owner.

In 1940 German bombers knocked out the brewery's water tanks leaving the building in flames, but the bombing was used to replace equipment and modernise the brewery.

The River Irwell became the waterways of Venice

In the early 1970s a new logo was introduced which included the famous barrel and the two bees which symbolise Manchester's reputation of being the "hive of industry" during the Industrial Revolution.

Boddingtons sold the beer brand and the brewery to Whitbread in 1989 for �50.7 million.

A successful advertising campaign was launched with the now famous television adverts, one starring TV presenter Melanie Sykes, with Manchester doubling as Venice with a gondola on the Irwell.

In May 2000 the Whitbread Beer Company became part of the current owners Interbrew.