Administrators from Begbies Traynor have been appointed for the Manchester-based craft ale brewer and taproom, which shut its doors for good last Friday (14 April).
The business, which has been trading for more than a decade, has experienced financial difficulties in recent months. ABC turned over more than £500,000 and employed 12 people, according to its latest set of company accounts.
Begbies Traynor regional managing partner Paul Stanley said after exploring all options available, the directors took the decision to place the company into administration.
He said the administrators were working on maximising the return for creditors, with ABC being a well-respected brand that has played an important role in Manchester’s craft beer scene.
Heartfelt goodbye
Launched in 2014, the business produced a range of award-winning craft beers and ales. Its products are stocked in bars, restaurants and retailers throughout the region.
Its beers are renowned for their quirky names such as Charlie Don’t Surf, Flat White, Juice Springsteen and A to the K.
On Twitter, the brewer thanked everyone who “drank a Juice Springsteen, popped down to the taproom and supported us”.
It added: “We love you all for making our dreams of having an independent brewery in Manchester come true.”
Tough times ahead
Paul Stanley and Jason Greenhalgh of Begbies Traynor were appointed as joint administrators of Alphabet Brewing Limited on 14 April 2023.
The pair also acted in the 2022 administration of Manchester-based brewer Beatnikz Republic as well as the administration of Liverpool Organic Brewery.
Stanley warned the regional craft ale industry faced huge challenges. This was not only because of inflation in the cost of raw materials and energy, he believed, but also the competition from multinational beer companies who could buy emerging brands and flood the market by producing them on a national scale.
“I’m certain more breweries face the same challenges as Alphabet,” he added.
