There was a decline of 100 breweries in the UK between January 2024 and January 2025, despite a “strong” demand for independent beer, the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has reported.
SIBA’s UK Brewery Tracker indicates that each quarter of 2024 experienced a negative net closure rate, leading to the current total of 1,715 breweries, down from 1,815 at the start of 2024.
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The decrease in brewery numbers over the past year is notably higher than in recent years, the trade body said.
At the beginning of 2023, there were 1,828 breweries, which dropped by 13 to 1,815 by the start of 2024.
SIBA attributed the increased closures to factors such as legacy Covid debt, restricted market access via pubs and tight margins for small breweries.
Andy Slee, SIBA chief executive, said despite high demand and the value of independent beer, small independent breweries’ “lack of access to market and rising costs” has made it “incredibly difficult to remain profitable”.
He added: “Given the demand for independent beer isn’t being met locally you have to wonder whether more local beer in community pubs would help pub closure rates as well.”
Despite the overall decline, there is a slight positive trend in the quarterly closure rates.
The fourth quarter of 2024 showed a slowing of the closure rate to -24, compared with -27 in the third quarter, -29 in the second quarter, and -38 in the first quarter of 2024.
Slee added: “As we begin 2025 our hope is that the dial continues to turn in the right direction and we see stable or even growing brewery numbers in the UK; however this will not happen without greater support from government for the hugely valued indie brewers all across the UK.”
Wales reported marginal growth in brewery numbers, with a net increase to 97 breweries at the start of 2025, up from 96 at the start of 2024.
The average closure rate across the UK was approximately 5.5%.
Northern Ireland experienced the highest percentage decrease, with a 20% reduction in the number of breweries, despite a relatively small net change of 6.
Regions with a higher density of breweries, such as the south east of England, saw a larger drop in numbers but a similar percentage decline of around 7%, comparable with the English Midlands.
