UK: InBev postpones closure of Stag Brewery due to jump in Budweiser sales

A surprise jump in sales of Budweiser has prompted the Belgian AB InBev, the world’s largest beer producer, to postpone the closure of its Stag Brewery, in Mortlake, West London, until the end of December 2011 at the earliest, The Publican related on June 22nd.

The brewery had been set to close this year following a review of InBev’s UK operation.

“Budweiser is growing in the UK and exceeding our expectations therefore we have decided to postpone the closure of the Stag brewery in the short term,” a spokesperson from AB InBev said.

The company will review the closure timeline in May 2011 and is planning to postpone the closure until at least December 2011. Fundamental issues with the site mean that it remains their intention to close the Stag Brewery.

At the time of AB InBev’s closure announcement in January last year, the brewer said the consultation process was “a response to challenging market conditions and significantly higher costs imposed as a result of record rises in beer taxation”, with action needed sooner rather than later.

23 June, 2010