UK brewery closures hit average of three per week
Brewery closure rates increased “dramatically” during 2025 and saw a 37% spike compared to 2024, according to new data from the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA).
Revealing figures from the SIBA UK Brewery Tracker, the trade body has warned that 2026 will see a “survival crisis” for British beer. The UK now has just 1578 individual breweries as of the beginning of January 2026, compared to 1715 at the start of January in 2025, 1815 in 2024 and 1828 in 2023 when the brewery tracker first began. Looking more closely, the tracker now also shows a net brewery closure rate of almost three per week (-2.6) for 2025, reflecting how much the sector is struggling.
Challenges
Speaking to the drinks business, about what the government needed to do to help, SIBA chief executive Andy Slee said: “The government has pledged to address the huge tax imbalance between online and high street retailers, including pubs, and even if the recent business rates changes are reversed the industry is simply back to where it started – without the meaningful reform that is needed. The Chancellor also missed an opportunity to increase draught duty relief to 20% or more in order to slow the rising price of a pint, and encourage people to visit their local community pub more often. Lastly, the government must announce the outcomes of its review on market access for small independent breweries, allowing the growing demand for local, independent beer to be met in a market dominated by global beer brands.”
Assessing the figures from the tracker further, Slee said: “Britain is extremely lucky to have such a broad range of passionate, independent breweries brewing beer locally across the UK; but if we don’t act soon to reverse closure rates then we could be facing a survival crisis for British brewing. The issue here is not one of demand – there is huge demand for beer from local independent breweries – the issue is the tax burden on small breweries, increased merger activity creating consolidation in the market, and restricted access to pubs for small breweries.”
Research published in the SIBA Independent Beer Report 2025 has also shown independent brewers’ production returning to pre-pandemic levels and independently brewed cask beer in double-digit growth, yet market pressures and an increase in brewery mergers and acquisitions mean that overall the UK now has 137 fewer breweries than it did 12 months prior.
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At the beginning of the year, db described how the UK had 100 fewer breweries than it did a year prior with each quarter of 2024 showing a negative net closure rate. By the spring, the total number of breweries in the UK continued to drop, with 136 fewer brewers remaining in business compared to the previous spring.
The expense of leasing brewing equipment, inflationary pressures on raw materials and the cost of production, as well as electricity prices and employee wage costs has created a perfect storm of issues that are putting smaller brewers out of business.
Imbalance
Slee admitted that even if the government does not address the imbalance that pub businesses currently endure then things will not change and explained: “Reversing the changes still only puts the sector back to where it was, and doesn’t deliver the promise of much-needed reforms to address the tax imbalance between traditional and online businesses. We also believe there is a need for globally owned and independent beers to coexist on bars across the UK.”
He added: “Britain has a proud brewing tradition and is home to some of the best beers in the world, we have a wonderful story to tell. The time for sentiment is over, Britain’s independent brewers – like the rest of hospitality – need decisive action from government.”
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