On September the 9, Interbrew, The World’s Local Brewer, revealed its intention to further optimise its plant network in Western Europe. The company will phase out the Breda plant (Netherlands) by relocating its volumes of 2 million hectolitres to the breweries in Dommelen (Netherlands), Leuven and Jupille (both Belgium). Interbrew also intends to rationalise its Manchester brewery (UK) by transferring 1 million hectolitres of brewing activity to other UK plants, Magor and Preston. As a result, the Manchester brewery will focus upon its traditional high-quality cask ale production and packaging.

Interbrew said that the closing of Breda and the downsizing of Manchester would, in total, affect approximately 400 people in the Netherlands and the UK. It added that the local Trade Unions had been informed and the Works Councils had been requested to advise.

The analysts have different opinions upon the company’s intention. A positive one is that of Andrew Gowen of Lehman Brothers in London who said: "They hinted at restructuring in the first-half release and we were expecting this type of follow-up… It’s good practice to rationalize production."

10 September, 2002