Breweries on the move: sustainability & history

Thanks to Jessica Mason @drinksmaven for reporting two brewery moves both it appears focused in part on sustainability.

Greene King is to move out of its historic site in the centre of Bury St Edmunds where it has brewed since 1799 to a new purpose built facility elsewhere in Suffolk by 2027.

Meanwhile Bristol Beer Factory is moving its brewing operations, but not its offices and tap room to a new site in Bristol.

The announcements in both cases are replete with management speak. However such moves are subject to business cases to ensure they cost-in. Moving out of old fashioned premises to new builds no doubt promotes efficiency and makes money. The underlining point being that sustainable production methods while desirable in a world of dramatic climate change also make business sense. Its something not everyone on the Tory backbenches and right-wing media has yet grasped.

Bristol Beer Factory talk about expanding production and creating jobs, clearly good news. Neither they or Greene King get around to mentioning that new premises should also mean better workplaces with modern facilities for employees. Greene King is unionised and no doubt workers will have their say. I’m not sure BBF, as often with craft brewers at the moment, is, although I’d happily be proved wrong.

Meanwhile while its clear BBF will retain their original site Greene King have not revealed plans for their historic site. As Ted Bruning has pointed out on FB there is a lot of history there and it certainly should not be lost