Competition watchdog should probe dominance of big brewers, say campaigners

Henry Saker-Clark, Press Association Deputy Business Editor

The competition watchdog should investigate the UK beer market over concerns about the dominance of a small number of large brewers, according to campaigners.

A fresh report by Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) has claimed that small, independent breweries are “being excluded” from pubs and bars due to the contractual power of larger rivals.

Ash Corbett-Collins, chairman of Camra, said “ordinary drinkers are being short changed when it comes to choice and quality” as a result.

Data from the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) found that 137 independent breweries closed in the UK in 2025, leaving 1,578 at the start of the year.

The report by Camra claims that the strong reputation of British brewers is now being “trashed by big business”.

It found that 80% of UK beer is now produced by foreign firms, with this predominantly from four major global brewers.

In 1990, 96% of UK brewing was British owned, but a raft of historic and fast-growing breweries have been snapped up by global players in recent years.

Multinational brewers have also shut a number of their British brewery sites in recent years, particularly through consolidation efforts to combine factory operations.

Earlier this year, Molson Coors announced the closure of its Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall, with production of Sharp’s beers, such as Doom Bar, moving to other production sites.

Last year, the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) shut the Banks’s Brewery site in Wolverhampton.

The report also found that seven of the top 10 selling “craft beers” in the UK are made by the four global brewing conglomerates.

The organisation has called for Government intervention to help catalyse growth among small brewers, arguing that this would support economic growth and the creation of jobs.

Mr Corbett-Collins said: “The Government needs to step up, start taking the issue seriously, and take action that matches up to their statements about supporting pubs and the communities they serve.

“Andy Burnham recently said that ‘people need to be able to look forward to a night out’.

“The best way he can deliver on that is by ordering a proper market investigation to sort this mess out and deliver a fair deal for publicans and drinkers, and the independent brewers that they want to support.”

Tim Webb, editor of the report, said: “The fact that a narrow clique of multinational corporations dominates the UK brewing industry is a national embarrassment.

“They only make beers that suit their production facilities, ignoring the types that beer lovers want to drink.

“They do not know how to reverse beer’s downward spiral, make little profit, and brew nothing worth exporting. They cannot grow the UK economy.”