CAMRA has attacked plans by Interbrew UK, now renamed InBev after its merger with AmBev of Brazil, to close Manchester’s Boddingtons brewery next February. CAMRA, along with the Transport & General Workers Union and Manchester City Council, is campaigning to keep the brewery open. CAMRA is resurrecting the Boddingtons Action Group, which was set up in 1989 to keep the brewery at Strangeways out of Whitbread’s clutches; it passed to Interbrew in 2000. It seems likely that plans to sell the site have been affected by the property boom in Manchester; the company looks likely to sell the site for up market flats and offices. The city council has said it will oppose plans to redevelop the site.

The brewery was founded in 1778 and was acquired by the Boddington family in 1835. It uses water from 200 foot wells and is Interbrew’s only major cask beer brewery. Real ale now sadly accounts for only 10% of Boddingtons sales, the rest being keg and can, due to the assiduous marketing of the canned version. InBev plans to move brewing of the brand to Preston, Glasgow and South Wales. Franny Joyce of the TGWU said ‘the company has done everything it can to associate Boddington’s with the city. The brewery makes a profit and they’ve always sold the beer as ‘the cream of Manchester’. CAMRA have accused InBev of lavishing money on promoting Stella Artois while sidelining Boddingtons.

Thousands of Mancunians have signed a petition to save Boddies; CAMRA members and real ale lovers are urged to sign on line by logging onto www.camra.org and clicking on the Save the Cream logo.

Interbrew UK has also announced that the famous Draught Bass will be brewed by Marstons in Burton on Trent. There were concerns that the brand would be moved to a large factory brewery and lose its essential character. CAMRA welcomed the news that Bass would stay in Burton in the hands of a regional brewer, and urged Interbrew to demonstrate their commitment to the brand through major marketing support.

Whitbread meanwhile has announced plans to sell its historic 250 year old brewery in the City of London.

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