Save Marston’s Brewery: The Jobs, the Heritage and the Questions Still Unanswered

You don’t have to drink Pedigree to care about what happens to Marston’s Brewery.

You don’t have to belong to CAMRA, prefer cask over keg, or agree with everything a beer campaign group has ever said.

This is about people’s livelihoods, skilled work and British brewing heritage. It’s also about what responsibility a major company should carry when it takes ownership of a historic business and subsequently proposes closing it.

That’s why I spoke to CAMRA’s national chairman, Ash Corbett-Collins, about the proposed closure, the alternatives and what people can do to help.

You can now watch the interview below. Alongside that conversation, I’ve contacted the company, politicians, councils and trade unions to establish what’s happening and which questions still need answers.

Here’s where things stand as of 19th October 2026.

https://youtu.be/Ify4jleFvQg?si=4ULHXlryAm0fEb_K

What’s been proposed?

On 8th October, Carlsberg Britvic announced a proposal to close Marston’s Brewery and its primary logistics operation at the Burton site in summer 2027.

Approximately 310 colleagues’ roles are directly affected. The proposal is subject to consultation, so it’s important to distinguish jobs at risk from redundancies that have already happened.

The company attributes its proposal to declining demand for ale and the economics of operating the brewery. It says UK cask ale volumes have more than halved in less than a decade. That’s the company’s explanation, rather than an independent assessment of whether closing this particular brewery is the only viable option.

Carlsberg took full ownership of the brewing business in 2024, when it acquired Marston’s PLC’s remaining stake. Marston’s PLC, the pub business, is separate from Carlsberg Britvic and isn’t conducting this consultation.

Sources: Carlsberg Britvic’s announcement and its letter published by CAMRA.

This is bigger than what’s in your glass

Before this becomes another argument about handpumps, craft beer or whether CAMRA needs dragging into the modern world, let’s keep our eyes on what’s actually at stake.

Whether you think CAMRA is brilliant, outdated or somewhere in between won’t pay an affected worker’s mortgage.

You can enjoy a hazy IPA, a lager, an Alcohol Free beer or a traditional bitter and still believe a historic brewery deserves a serious chance of survival.

For me, heritage means more than keeping an old logo on a bottle. It includes the people who know how to make the beer, the skills passed between generations and the relationship between a working brewery and its town.

A brand surviving elsewhere and a brewery surviving in Burton are different outcomes. We should ask about both.

I’m not arguing that history makes a business immune to changing demand. I am arguing that the loss of jobs and a historic brewing operation deserves scrutiny, clear explanations and a proper examination of alternatives.

What I asked Carlsberg Britvic

I contacted Carlsberg Britvic on 9th October with detailed questions about the proposed closure.

These covered investment, the timing of the decision, production capacity, alternatives to closure, the future of the beers, heritage protection and support for employees.

In particular, I asked whether options such as diversification, contract brewing or selling the brewery as a working business had been examined.

Vicki Baker at Cirkle replied on the company’s behalf. She explained that its priority was the people directly affected and that it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment further at that time.

That’s a response, and it’s fair to acknowledge it. However, it didn’t answer the individual questions I’d submitted.

Prioritising employees is understandable. The unanswered questions about alternatives and the brewery’s future still matter.

What Marston’s PLC told me

Marston’s PLC supplied a statement acknowledging its historic connection with brewing in Burton and expressing pride in the people, brands and traditions built there.

It also confirmed that ownership transferred to Carlsberg in 2024 and that the proposed consultation doesn’t involve Marston’s PLC.

Ross in the press office said he’d check internally whether the company could add anything further in response to my questions.

Those questions included potential implications for beer supply to Marston’s pubs, the availability of traditional beers and whether the pub business would support efforts to retain brewing at Burton.

I haven’t received those additional answers yet.

Watch my interview with CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins

Marston's Brewery's history tied to Burton upon Trent, datig back almost 200 years. Credit: PA Images

Could Marston’s Brewery remain viable under different ownership? What should Carlsberg Britvic do next? And how can ordinary people help protect brewing in Burton?

I put those questions to Ash Corbett-Collins, CAMRA’s national chairman, in an interview recorded on 15th October 2026.

We discuss the proposed closure, the future of traditional beer brands, younger drinkers’ interest in cask ale and the practical steps CAMRA believes could help preserve the brewery.

I also put viewers’ concerns to Ash, including questions about beer quality and whether CAMRA can turn opposition into meaningful action.

Ash’s answers represent his and CAMRA’s perspective. Where he discusses commercial viability, company decisions or future demand, those views shouldn’t be mistaken for independently verified findings or confirmed rescue plans.

Thank you to Ash for his time and to Ellie Hudspith for helping arrange the conversation.

What East Staffordshire Council said

East Staffordshire Borough Council replied on 12th October through its communications officer, Thomas Connolly.

Council leader Councillor Michael Fitzpatrick said the council had been informed of the proposal on 8th October. He planned to meet Carlsberg Britvic’s chief executive to understand its implications for employees, the site and Burton’s brewing heritage.

The council said it wouldn’t comment further until after that discussion, when it had a fuller understanding of the expected impact.

I’m awaiting a further update. I haven’t yet received confirmation of the meeting’s outcome.

Who I’ve contacted and what’s outstanding

Organisation or representative	Position so far
Carlsberg Britvic, through its press office and Cirkle	Replied, prioritising affected employees and declining further comment. My detailed questions remain unanswered.
Marston’s PLC	Statement received confirming the ownership distinction. Follow-up sent on 16th October seeking the additional answers its press office offered to investigate.
CAMRA, through Ellie Hudspith	Helped arrange the interview with Ash. A separate request to review and potentially support my campaign page is awaiting a response.
Jacob Collier MP	Automatic acknowledgement received. Follow-up sent on 16th October; substantive response outstanding.
Unite and GMB	Asked to confirm workforce representation and provide the employees’ perspective. Follow-up sent on 16th October; response outstanding.
East Staffordshire Borough Council	Initial statement received on 12th October about the council leader’s planned meeting with Carlsberg Britvic’s chief executive. Follow-up sent on 16th October asking for an update.

An unanswered enquiry isn’t proof that an organisation is doing nothing. This table records what’s been provided to me for this coverage.

Help give Marston’s Brewery a future

I’ve created a dedicated Save Marston’s Brewery page to help turn concern into action.

It explains the proposal and brings together practical guidance for contacting Carlsberg Britvic and writing to your own MP. You can use the suggested wording as a starting point, but putting your concerns into your own words makes it personal.

Visit the Save Marston’s Brewery page

Ask for clear answers about the alternatives to closure, the future of the workforce and whether the brewery could continue operating under different ownership.

I’ve also asked CAMRA to review the page and consider whether it could support the initiative. Unless confirmed otherwise in an update, that request remains outstanding. Ash’s participation in the interview doesn’t constitute formal CAMRA endorsement of this separate campaign.

Sending an email can’t guarantee the brewery’s survival. It can make clear that people care about what happens next and expect credible alternatives to be properly explored.

The questions that still need answers

The company has explained its broad commercial reasoning. What I’m still trying to establish is how that translates into the decision about Burton.

• What alternatives to closure have been assessed, and why were they rejected?
  

• Could the brewery be offered for sale as a working business?
  

• Could different production arrangements preserve brewing and skilled jobs at the site?
  

• What would happen to the brewery’s equipment and heritage assets?
  

• What practical support and redeployment opportunities would affected employees receive?
  

• What would any proposed sale of beer brands mean for brewing in Burton itself?

There may be difficult commercial answers. I’d rather report those answers than fill the gaps with assumptions.

Equally, I don’t think a general explanation about a declining market should end every question about a particular brewery.

Poll: What should happen next?

What do you think should happen to Marston’s Brewery in Burton?

• Carlsberg Britvic should retain brewing at the site.
• It should seek a buyer to keep it working.
• Closure is reasonable if the commercial case supports it.
• I need more information before deciding.

Tell me why in the comments. If you work at the site, have a connection to the brewery or know something relevant, I’d particularly welcome hearing from you. Please avoid posting private employment information publicly.

Why I’m continuing with this

Buying a historic business brings control over assets and brands. In my view, it also brings a responsibility to take its workforce, knowledge and place in the community seriously.

That applies whoever owns it. The question is what the owner does and how convincingly it explains those decisions.

I want to see whether there’s a credible route to keeping brewing in Burton, what’s being done to explore it and whether the people affected are getting the consideration they deserve.

The interview is now available, and the investigation continues. I’ll update this article as further responses arrive, clearly distinguishing confirmed developments from opinions, proposals and unanswered questions.

Please watch the interview, visit the campaign page and share this article with anyone who cares about the workforce and Burton’s brewing future.

You don’t have to like the beer to give a damn about the people making it.

Hopper out!