UK: Greene King secures approval of plans for a new state-of-the-art brewery

Brewing giant Greene King has had its plans for a new “state-of-the-art” £40 million brewery approved by West Suffolk Council, The Drinks Business reported on January 9.

It was last spring when Greene King announced that it would cease to brew at its historic Westgate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds, where it had been based for more than two centuries. The announcement came, coincidentally, shortly after a small fire broke out in one of the brewery’s cooling towers.

Having selected a site, at Suffolk Business Park, a new development on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds, and next to the company’s distribution centre, Greene King’s plans for its production facility have received the crucial stamp of approval from West Suffolk Council.

“The move allows the brewery to modernise its facilities to ensure that they are more sustainable and more efficient for the future, which aligns with our priority for sustainable growth within the district,” commented Councillor Indy Wijenayaka, cabinet member for growth at the council. “Its investment and eagerness to stay in Bury St Edmunds not only ensures the retainment of jobs and a skilled workforce, but also demonstrates West Suffolk is the location for businesses to grow and evolve.”

The new Greene King brewery will supposedly be more efficient than the old site when it comes to water usage and energy consumption. Construction is expected to start in the middle of this year, with it hoped that the facility will be operational by mid-2027.

Matt Starbuck, Greene King’s managing director for brewing and group supply chain, dubbed the council’s approval a “milestone” in the “delivery” of the new brewery.

“We are excited to get started on building our new state-of-the-art site – which we believe will bring benefits to the local community, economy and our customers – and we will continue to work closely with local stakeholders throughout the process,” he added.