Closure of Burton upon Trent National Brewery Centre a 'devastating loss'

The National Brewery Centre is also used as a wedding venue and the operator said it was trying to reach couples affected

A heritage site dedicated to Burton upon Trent's historical connections with the brewing industry is set to close.

Owned by Molson Coors, the National Brewery Centre (NBC) will make way for the firm's new headquarters.

About 50 jobs are at risk at the NBC, while the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) said its closure would be a "devastating loss".

Molson Coors said it was committed to managing the move "sensitively."

HR & Facilities Director Adam Firby said the firm would be "preserving the historic buildings on the site".

Burton upon Trent is often regarded as the home of the UK brewing industry and the NBC site currently incorporates a museum and on-site brewery.

The town came to the fore early in the industrial revolution, with its beers praised for their clarity, quality and flavour.

At one point Burton produced about a quarter of the UK's beer and more than 30 breweries once operated there.

At its height more than 30 breweries once operated from the town

The National Brewery Centre was reopened in 2010 by the Princess Royal.

Gillian Hough from Camra said it was "the only museum in the UK focused solely on our brewing heritage".

"It is extremely concerning that Molson Coors is putting profits over protecting Burton's place in global brewing history," she said.

The move to the NBC site follows the sale of Molson Coors' headquarters just down the road on the high street.

About 500 staff will move to the new site and none of those jobs are thought to be at risk.

The high street campus has been bought by East Staffordshire Borough Council for £5.2m as part of a regeneration plan, funded primarily through the government's Towns Fund.

The Princess Royal visited the National Brewery Centre in 2010 to officially reopen it

In a statement, the local authority said it would retain all of the artefacts and archives and was exploring plans to move the historical collections to a new Burton Heritage Centre at Bass Town House, and would look for opportunities to expand that.

Volunteers from the National Brewery Heritage Trust, which looks after the collections, said that would "provide a safe and secure long-term home" for them and allow them to be seen by the public.

However, Ms Hough from Camra said "a limited display of materials in a new location" was "not an adequate replacement".

More than 2,700 people have signed a petition to oppose the closure.

"To say there's a bit of uncertainty is an understatement. It really just seems to be a betrayal of Burton's brewing heritage," Independent councillor Richard Grosvenor said.

The site is also a wedding venue and Chris Williamson from the operator Planning Solutions Limited said staff were still trying to contact couples affected and would be offering a full refund.

Councillor Richard Grosvenor said thousands of people had signed a petition to save the centre