Camra slams brewery closure
The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has condemned Greene King's planned closure of the that Hardys & Hansons brewery in Nottinghamshire.
The 174-year-old brewery will end production at the end of the year.
Camra had campaigned to save the brewery - collecting thousands of signatures for a petition - and says it has not given up the fight.
However, as revealed on morningadvertiser.co.uk this morning, it was all in vain as Greene King announced plans to move production to Suffolk.
Camra members in Nottingham have reacted with anger at the news.
Andrew Ludlow, of the Save Hardys & Hansons Brewery Group said: "Only weeks after acquiring this remarkable Victorian brewery, Greene King has ignored calls from beer drinkers across the UK to keep brewing in Kimberley.
"We have not given up and we will continue our campaign until Greene King reverses its decision."
Mike Benner, Camra chief executive said: "We regard this as an unnecessary loss.
"Despite a history of brewery closures, Greene King has shown with its acquisition of Belhaven that it can integrate other breweries into a growing empire.
"We urge them to follow this approach with the Kimberley Brewery.
"Britain's brewing heritage is being slowly eroded by a seemingly endless string of closures through consolidation and drinkers across the UK need to join us in opposing this destruction."
"We'll be calling on Greene King to maintain the Hardys & Hansons real ales including the bitter.
"We don't want to see Hardys & Hansons beers being replaced by Greene King beers in the pubs of Nottingham because they are no longer available.
"Loss of consumer choice is almost always the end result of consolidation."
"Greene King is a major brewer and promoter of real ale, but it has to listen to real ale drinkers, reverse its decision, invest in the Hardys & Hansons brewery and promote genuine Hardys & Hansons beers for future generations."
CAMRA is calling on beer lovers and its 84,000 members to support its campaign to keep the brewery open by sending postcards which condemn the closure to Greene King, or by signing its petition at www.camra.org.uk.
