Carlsberg Britvic has proposed closing Marston's Brewery in Burton upon Trent in summer 2027, putting approximately 310 jobs at risk and triggering renewed calls for a Competition and Markets Authority investigation into UK beer market consolidation.

The company announced the plan on 8 October 2026, saying it intends to shut both the brewery and its primary logistics operations next summer. Carlsberg cited "a need to create greater long-term value" and pointed to structural decline in cask ale as the driver.

Why is Carlsberg closing the Burton site?

CEO Paul Davies was blunt about the category economics. He said: "While we remain proud of the role we have played in supporting and investing in the ale category overall, the stark reality is that UK cask ale volumes have more than halved in less than a decade, and this trend looks set to continue across the UK."

Davies also acknowledged the human cost: "I am very aware that this news will have come as a shock for colleagues, as I recognise the impact of this proposal is significant."

The proposal continues a multi-year pruning of the estate. Carlsberg closed the Ringwood and Wychwood sites in 2023 and shut Jennings Brewery in 2022; Jennings has since reopened under independent family ownership. Carlsberg bought Marston's brewing business two years ago, before its acquisition of Britvic last year, building on a joint venture with Marston's that dated from 2020.

What happens to the brands?

Priority ale brands including Hobgoblin, McEwan's and Brooklyn will stay within Carlsberg Britvic's multi-beverage portfolio. The company will seek new homes for other cask and regional ale brands.

Davies said the company will do "everything we can" to ensure the smaller ale brands "thrive under more specialist or local ownership in the future," and pledged that "every effort" will be made to support the site's workforce through the process.

The brewery and logistics operation are expected to keep running during the transition period, with further decisions to be taken during consultations in the coming months.

How has CAMRA responded?

The Campaign for Real Ale reacted with anger and has renewed its call for the CMA to investigate how global interests have consolidated the UK beer market. The consumer group argues that independent brewers are "locked out" of the market by global conglomerates despite providing "genuine innovation and choice to drinkers."

Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins called the announcement an "absolute disgrace," while welcoming Carlsberg's commitment to find suitable new ownership for smaller and regional cask beers.

"The time is right to think about alternative, independent brewers who are willing to become custodians of Carlsberg's cask brands and will finally do the beers the justice they deserve," Corbett-Collins said. He pointed to the Jennings rescue in Cumbria as a template: "Like the rescue of Jennings in Cumbria by passionate and experienced brewers, I hope the Burton brewery can be saved."

What happens next?

For pub and hospitality operators, the closure signals continued contraction in mainstream cask supply and a likely redistribution of regional ale brands toward smaller owners over the next 18 months. Consultations on the Burton proposal begin in the coming months, with the brewery and logistics operations running until the planned summer 2027 shutdown. Expect CAMRA to press the CMA formally on consolidation, and expect bids for Carlsberg's secondary cask brands to emerge as specialist and local brewers position themselves as buyers.