West End Brewery closure: Your questions answered on future of SA brewery
West End isn’t just a beer brand, it’s part of the fabric of South Australia. We answer some of the key questions around the future of the site and the beer itself.
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West End Brewery is slated to close in June next year, with owner Lion saying a drop in beer consumption is largely to blame. But what about the beer itself, and everything else that goes along with the West End brand?
WILL THE BEER SURVIVE?
A resounding yes! West End and Southwark will continue to be brewed interstate after the closure of the Thebarton brewery.
WHAT ABOUT THE HISTORIC CHIMNEY?
It’s an SA tradition to unveil the winners of the SANFL competition and the runners up, when they repaint the West End Brewery chimney each year. Lion says it will work with the relevant interested parties for the best solution for the chimney’s future.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE LAND?
There are no firm plans at this stage, but Lion made it clear that it believed the sale of the plant to another brewer was unlikely and that a sale of the land was the most likely outcome. The former Coca Cola bottling site nearby was last year sold for redevelopment for an undisclosed amount to Adelaide’s Australasian Property Developments.
WHY IS IT CLOSING?
Beer consumption in Australia has been falling for many years, and the brewery is operating at 50 per cent capacity. Coupled with competition from about 700 craft breweries and higher input costs, Lion said the operations were no longer viable.
HAVE WE SEEN THE LAST OF THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS?
Lion owns the land down to the edge of the River Torrens, where the Christmas lights display is set up. The display had to be cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The company said the intention was to bring the lights back next year and aim to work for a solution to their continuation.
WHAT ABOUT THE CHEAP SPRINGWATER AT THE SITE?
The West End Brewery Charity Fountain has been another casualty of COVID-19. It has been closed for some time. It draws upon an artesian bore at the site and its future would be determined by what the site is eventually used for and its new owners.
WHAT ABOUT SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS?
Lion says it has a large number of sports sponsorships across the state which it remains committed to and will continue beyond the date of the brewery’s closure in June next year.
HOW MANY WORKERS WILL BE AFFECTED?
The closure will impact 94 roles in the brewery, however around 40 roles would remain in SA in sales and sponsorship roles. Lion has committed to a West End Re-Skilling Fund of up to $1 million, on top of any potential redundancy payments.
HOW OLD IS THE BRAND?
The history of the company goes back to 1859. There have been brewing operations at 107 Port Road since 1886 when it commenced as the Torrenside Brewery, and then became the Southwark Brewery and ultimately West End Brewery The company was officially formed into the South Australian Brewing, Malting, Wine and Spirit company in 1888, merging the West End Brewery (Adelaide), the Kent Town Brewery (Kent Town) and the wine and spirit business of Rounsevell and Simms. In 1894 once wine and spirits were sold off, the South Australian Brewing Company was established. Production was concentrated at the original West End Brewery, in the city of Adelaide, which had been established in 1859 and remained there until 1980, when the brewery moved to the Southwark Brewery in the suburb of Thebarton.
