Brewery closes (1982)

Post date: Mar 31, 2014 7:5:52 PM

Transcription of News From Whitbreads release (in Kent archives reference U3555/2/L/B2/1).

Whitbread Fremlins Ltd announced today that the company will close its Wateringbury brewery near Maidstone in January 1982.

The closure will result in a loss of 46 jobs. Current employment levels will be maintained until next January.

Every effort will be made to minimise the effect of the closure. Whitbread Fremlin will offer advice to everyone concerned, and a personnel office will be opened at the Brewery to provide help in finding new jobs.

The closure has been brought about because, in common with other companies in the brewing industry, Whitbread is faced with a serious drop in sales and a certain amount of overcapacity due to the economic recession.

Production of Gold Label, English Ale, Light Ale and Pale Ale, which are currently brewed at Wateringbury, will be transfered to other Whitbread breweries.

Whitbread Fremlins' Managing Director, Mr. Charles Flower, said today "All redundancies are, naturally, regrettable, but in the current climate it is just not possible to carry surplus capacity, and therefore some redundancies are necessary in order to make more secure the jobs of the vast majority of our workforce."

20th May 1981