Leominster brewery decides to call time

A brewery in North Herefordshire has announced its going to close this year.

Swan Brewery in Leominster began brewing ales for local pubs and clubs six years ago.

Partners at the brewery in Brunel Road confirmed they have decided to call time this Spring.

The company says the coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on business.

Head brewer Jimmy Swan said: "It has been a tough decision to make and something that we have deliberated and discussed long and hard over recent weeks."

"COVID-19 has had a big impact on our business. In the first 12 months of the pandemic our brewing volumes were down by around a half. We recovered to a point in 2021 but then Omicron hit and, once again, adversely affected the pub trade at what should be one of their busiest times."

"We’ve seen so many hardworking publicans having to experience the rollercoaster of the last two years at the front end. The majority of our beer is sold in pubs and, while we have added other ways of bringing beer to lips, trade has been, at best, erratic."

"We have also seen really significant increases in the cost of raw materials, fuel, rent, energy and transport. Whilst we have somehow managed to keep in the black, we foresee it is unsustainable for us to carry on trading in such uncertain times.”

The team will continue to brew and deliver beer and run events through to the Spring.