Boddington's Brewery To Close

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Doc

Doctor's Orders Brewing
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Always a sad day when icons of any industry get closed down.

Beers,
Doc

Boddington's Brewery to close
Interbrew will produce 'Cream of Manchester' elsewhere

Sept 9, 2004 - Union leaders and members of Britain's Campaign for Real Ale were quick to protest after plans were announced to close Manchester's famous Boddington's Brewery.

Interbrew, the Belgian company which owns the Boddingtons brand, announced the site will be shut down next February and 55 workers will be laid off. Steve Cahillane, chief executive of Interbrew UK and Ireland, said: "To reach this position on Boddingtons Brewery has been extremely difficult. But in a highly competitive environment, it is just not sustainable to continue brewing keg ales at Boddingtons and then transport them to our other brewery sites for packaging."


Union leaders counter that "corporate greed" is to blame for the demise of the famous beer, "The Cream of Manchester" brewed in the city for past two centuries. The beer, which became a symbol of northern pride, will now be brewed in south Wales, Preston or Glasgow.


"This is about corporate greed," said union spokesman Franny Joyce. "It is not a loss making brewery. If they pull out of Manchester the brand will die. It won't be the Cream of Manchester, it will become the 'Sour grapes of South Wales.'"


CAMRA announced it will campaign to keep the Boddingtons (Strangeways) Brewery open and is resurrecting the Boddingtons Action Group, set up in 1989 to keep the Boddingtons Brewery out of the hands of Whitbread.


"We're appalled at this decision," said Mike Benner of CAMRA. "Boddingtons Brewery is one of the best known British breweries and to close it after nearly 230 years shows little regard by Interbrew for Britain's beer heritage or the people of Manchester. Despite claims to be the 'World's Local Brewer,' Interbrew is riding roughshod over British brewing. Strangeways is the home of the 'Cream of Manchester' and for beer, there's no place like home."


Comedian Bernard Manning, a Boddingtons drinker, offered and interesting view. "It is the best beer there is. People swear by it," he said. "Still I suppose its staying in the UK, its not going to India like everything else where they only pay them two bob a week."
 
geez
i'm suprised they didnt outsource to India.
 
Boddingtons brewers are to strike

Workers at the Boddingtons brewery in Manchester have voted to strike as part of the campaign to retain beer production in the city.
The company's owner, Interbrew, plans to close the historic brewery and move production elsewhere, with the loss of 55 jobs.

It says it is no longer profitable to produce beer at the site.

Union leaders insist the brewery is viable and closure would end more than 200 years of brewing in the city.

The 48-hour strike will begin at 2200 GMT on Monday.

To take this away from Manchester is like taking away a part of us, we have grown up here with it

Bruce Jones who plays Les Battersby in Coronation Street

Campaigners, including Bruce Jones who plays Les Battersby on Coronation Street, met on Tuesday to hear the progress of their efforts.

He joins the Campaign For Real Ale, the Transport and General Workers Union and Manchester City Council who also want the site to remain operational.

Mr Jones told the BBC he strongly resents the idea of the brewery closing.

"To take this away from Manchester is like taking away a part of us, we have grown up here with it," he said.

"What they are taking away from here will not be drunk when it comes back because it will not taste the same."

Earlier this month Manchester based MEP Arlene McCarthy called on Interbrew to review its decision.

Move production

But Philip Malpass, from Interbrew, said the decision followed a trend of more people choosing to drink lager rather than ale.

The site is set to shut in 2005, with the loss of 55 jobs, because bosses said it will reduce distribution costs.

Interbrew plans to brew cask ale in Manchester switching its production to Hyde Brewery, Moss Side.

However, most production will move to Lancashire, Scotland and Magor in South Wales.
 
to be successful the strikers will need to enlist the solidarity and equal support from all other interbrew sites and join the strike to prevent closure.hit them hard at all sites and it may save the manchester brewers.corporate companies hurt at the hip pocket.

cheers
big d
 
Maybe there might be some fight in the Interbrew staff (e.g Liverpool dockers), but in this day and age I wouldn't hold my breath. :(
 
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