Interbrew puts Bass brewery on the market

Drinks giant Interbew put Northern Ireland’s Bass brewery on the market tonight and warned it will close if a buyer is not found.

Around 80 people are employed in producing beer at Bass Ireland’s Ulster Brewery in West Belfast’s Glen Road.

Those jobs will go if a buyer does not come forward.

Announcing its decision to sell, Interbrew UK said the decision had been take following an unsuccessful three-month intensive search throughout the UK and Ireland for production contracts to replace volume that will be lost at the conclusion of a soft drinks contract at the end of the year.

David Randall, supply chain director of the company, said if there was no sale there would be “no other option” but to close the manufacturing facility by early 2005.

Whatever happened the company’s other operations on the site and its sales and distribution depot in Omagh, Co Tyrone would be unaffected.

The brewery was founded in 1897 and is the only major brewery in Northern Ireland.

Currently it brews and kegs Bass and Tennent’s Lager, and kegs Stella Artois for the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland market.

The company employs 285 people in the brewery, but 205 would be unaffected if the brewing business shut, it said.

Mr Randall said the situation was in no way related to the performance of their beer brands or the volume of beer sold in Ireland.

“Tennent’s Lager and Stella Artois are gaining market share and are well on their way to hitting their annual volume targets,” he said.

And he said whatever the outcome it would remain “very much business as usual for our customers”.