Brewing industry being decimated, ale experts say

Ale fans have expressed their anger about the closure of a Cornish brewery.

Molson Coors said it would close Sharp's Brewery in Rock and make 50 staff members redundant by the end of the year.

The vice chair of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), Gillian Gough, said the global brewer was "decimating the UK's brewing industry and heritage by closing a wonderful site which produces award-winning beer".

A spokesperson for Molson Coors said the firm had "taken every step we can to try and avoid this outcome, however, the site is no longer financially sustainable as part of our national production network."

The spokesperson said: "We remain committed to the Sharp's brands, and cask ale as part of our portfolio and are exploring alternative production routes."

Gough responded to the suggestion with a warning: "We need to alert drinkers to the fact that any future connections with Sharp's and Doom Bar may have no connection to Cornwall at all."

Doom Bar has consistently won gold in the World Beer Awards and was named after a sandbank which lies in the entrance of the Camel estuary.

CAMRA Kernow has called for a European Commission protected status akin to that held by Cornish pasties.

Vice chairman Vince Curtis said: "Our message to Molson Coors is clear - if you're shuttering the brewery, you can't keep claiming that Doom Bar is a Cornish beer.

"It's misleading for consumers and insulting to Cornwall's brewing legacy.

"Molson Coors have chosen to sever ties with brewing in the South West, and shouldn't try to suggest otherwise."

John Brown, chief executive of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, said Doom Bar had been "an absolute success story".

He said over the past few years the cost of energy, infrastructure and transport had risen. "It's created a tough business environment to operate in," he added.

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