Black Sheep Brewery has announced a “small number” of redundancies at its head offices in Masham.
In a statement, the brewery also said three of its pubs in Leeds and York would close with immediate effect.
A spokesperson for Black Sheep said the redundancies would be made in its retail arm.
Meanwhile, The Tap & Kitchen and Mr. Foleys in Leeds, along with The Last Drop Inn in York, will shut following an “extensive review” of the brewery.
A spokesperson said:
“Having recently conducted an extensive review of our business, we have explored every angle to try to keep these locations trading profitably, but without success.
“Unfortunately, the only avenue left for us was the closure of these premises. It is always the last resort for us to make redundancies, and we are saddened to see such dedicated colleagues leaving us, at this time.”
Read more:
- London investment firm buys Masham’s Black Sheep Brewery
- Suppliers owed £3m after Black Sheep Brewery sale
- Sale of Black Sheep Brewery prevented ‘local employment catastrophe’, says CEO
Breal Capital bought the brewery for £5 million on May 26 as part of a pre-package administration deal.
Teneo Financial Advisory, which was appointed as administrators of Black Sheep, revealed sales fell from a high of £19 million in 2019 to £14 million last year, which resulted in a £1.6 million loss.
It added the company’s performance “suffered during the covid pandemic and trading challenges continued as a result of the current economic environment”.
The move also left creditors, including HMRC and suppliers, owed nearly £3 million.
Following the sale, Charlene Lyons, who was kept on as chief executive of Black Sheep, warned that other breweries faced administration amid the current economic climate.
