Ringwood Brewery to close after no buyer found

Ringwood Brewery was founded independently in 1978

A brewery is set to close with the loss of 10 jobs after failing to find a buyer.

Ringwood Brewery, on the Hampshire-Dorset border, was put up for sale in June by owner Carlsberg Marston's.

The firm said the site needed an upgrade to be competitive, but expansion and improvements would have been "challenging and extremely costly" given the limited space and location.

It said the land would be sold for another purpose.

Former head brewer Jeff Drew said the closure was foreseeable when Carlsberg merged with Marston's in 2020.

He said: "Unfortunately, their focus is not really on regional breweries.

"Wychwood Brewery shut its doors last Thursday. The writing was on the wall for all the little breweries."

Carlberg Marston's chief executive Paul Davies said the decision was "not taken lightly".

He said: "We are incredibly proud of the effort and dedication of our people at Ringwood Brewery

"Our priority now is to support colleagues affected by the proposals through the consultation period, which has now begun."

Ringwood Brewery was founded independently in 1978 before being bought by Marston's.

Its Old Thumper ale won Supreme Champion Beer of Britain in 1988.

The cask variant of the beer will be moved to Marston's Brewery in Burton upon Trent, while cask production of Razorback, Fortyniner and Boondoggle will move to Banks's in Wolverhampton.