Beer drinkers, historians, and users of the facility have been stunned to hear that owner Molson Coors is proposing to close the National Brewery Centre, in Burton-on-Trent.
The National Brewery Centre. Photograph: Bernt Rostad, licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Molson Coors wants to move the UK headquarters of its company to the site the centre occupies.
“Since agreeing to sell our current head office site to support Burton town centre’s redevelopment, we’ve been focused on finding a new head office home in Burton,” said Adam Firby, HR and facilities director at Molson Coors.
“Our priority was always to try and stay in the town centre if at all possible, which is why we explored the brewery centre as one of the few options available to us.
“Relocating to the brewery centre allows us to keep our around 500 employees who use our head office in the town centre and importantly brings us closer to our Burton brewery.
“We also believe that investing in this historic site, to make it a great head office for our people, keeps its connection to our brewing heritage by making it a part of our future, ensuring it will play a role in our town for generations to come.
“While we’re very pleased to be able to remain in Burton town centre, we absolutely recognise that the closure of the brewery centre is not without challenges. We’re committed to working with Planning Solutions Limited, the National Brewing Heritage Trust, and the council to manage the closure of the site as sensitively as possible and finding the right new home for our industry’s important heritage.”
East Staffordshire Borough Council will work with Molson Coors and the National Brewing Heritage Trust to ensure that the collection is protected during the interim period before a new home is established.
A council spokesperson said: “At this time, the council would like to make a public commitment to retaining all of the items, artefacts, and archives from the NBC to ensure they are kept within the town.
“Furthermore, the council will work with its Heritage Centre Working Group, comprised of local historians, in order to explore opportunities for expanding the proposed new Burton Heritage Centre in a way that can best incorporate the items from the NBC, including the possibility to expand the proposed Heritage Centre into the important and listed larger Bass House building on High Street.”
Meanwhile, more than 3,600 have signed a petition opposing the closure of the centre “the damaging impact it would have on the history and heritage of the town”.
Petitioner Rebecca Talbot says: “We demand Molson Coors abandon the proposal and work to provide a long term viable future for the museum. We call upon East Staffordshire Borough Council and our MP to publicly condemn the closure plan, and campaign for it to remain open.”
• The petition can be signed here.
Gillian Hough, national director for real ale, cider, and perry campaigns at the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said: “The planned closure of the National Brewery Centre in October will be a devastating loss not only to Burton upon Trent but also to the nation’s brewing history.
“While we can see the benefit of relocating the archives to a site where they can be properly stored and maintained, a limited display of materials in a new location is not an adequate replacement for the only museum in the UK focused solely on our brewing heritage.”
She said: “As one of the largest brewers in the world, Molson Coors have a responsibility to safeguard historical and educational facilities that are under its care. It is extremely concerning that Molson Coors is putting profits over protecting Burton’s place in global brewing history.
“CAMRA is urging Molson Coors to reverse their decision, invest in the centre in its current location, and ensure its collections are open and accessible to the public. CAMRA are poised ready to be part of a new campaign to save the National Brewery Centre and preserve the collections for generations to come.”
