Marston’s closure ‘nail in the coffin’ for Burton-upon-Trent

“Devastating,” “completely and utterly disgusting” and “a nail in the coffin”.

People living in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire have not minced their words in reaction to the news that Marston’s Brewery could close in 2027.

Described as the “beer capital of England”, Burton was once home to more than 30 breweries and Marston’s has had links with the town for some 200 years.

Around 310 people are set to be affected by the proposals. The BBC has been in the area gathering a sense of what the announcement means for the people living and working there.

“[The town] has gone downhill – it’s losing all it’s breweries, it’s losing it’s identity, it’s terrible,” said resident Angela Carpenter.

The history of beer in Burton can be traced back to the 11th Century, when monks first started brewing it there.

Times, brewery owners Carlsberg Britvic said, have changed. Announcing the closure, they said the “stark reality” was that UK cask ale volumes had more than halved in less than a decade and “this trend looks set to continue across the UK”.