AUSTRALIA – Beverage giant Asahi will cease the operation of its Green Beacon brewery in Geebung since the brewery has reached a point where it has outgrown the site due to significant growth in the years.
In a media release announcing the closure, Asahi said most Green Beacon production will be transferred to Asahi Beverages’ other sites, including Pirate Life in Adelaide and 4 Pines at Brookvale in Sydney. Green Beacon’s Wayfarer kegs are already produced at 4 Pines.
The production site will close in around ten weeks, and three full-time and two casual employees will lose their positions due to the move, with the remaining members moving to the Teneriffe brewpub, where the company plans to invest in boosting production capabilities.
The brewery said it would provide support to those impacted and may find work for them in other parts of Asahi.
Green Beacon GM Richard Shrosbery said: “Geebung has been our home for more than six years and has driven much of our recent success; however, we are experiencing significant growth and have now outgrown the site. Today’s announcement means Green Beacon can continue its growth trajectory by unlocking capacity constraints, which will help ensure we continue to get it to lovers of Green Beacon everywhere.
“We will still have a strong presence in Brisbane with the upgraded Green Beacon Brewpub in Teneriffe. And, under the watchful supervision of our chief brewer, all Green Beacon beers will retain their distinct and award-winning flavors. The team at Geebung has been tremendous, and I am very proud of the contribution they’ve made to Green Beacon’s success.”
Last year, the Japanese global alcohol company also announced the closure of Dark Star brewery in Sussex due to the challenges of the current economic environment, moving the brewery’s portfolio operations to its Meantime brewery in Greenwich.
The brewer purchased Fuller’s Griffin Brewery, Cornish Orchards, and Nectar Imports for £250m (US$258m) in January 2021.
At the time of the sale, the deal was heavily criticized by the wider beer sector, saying it could be the ‘end of an era’ in British brewing.
The company said the brewery is not only impacted the economic environment but also operates significantly below capacity, “which is unfortunately not sustainable.”
The move to close the production brewery in Geebung and invest in Teneriffe brewpub comes a week after Kirin’s subsidiary Lion announced it was closing its Townsville-based Tiny Mountain brewery venue and discontinuing the brand.
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