Sharp's Brewery to close in December as Doom Bar production moves 417 MILES from Cornwall to Hartlepool

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026 · last updated 1 October 2026.

Sharp's Brewery in Rock, Cornwall — home of Doom Bar ale and 40 workers — will shut permanently in December after owner Molson Coors concluded a six-month consultation confirming the site is no longer financially sustainable. The Canadian brewing giant acquired Sharp's in 2011 and poured £20 million into the site, but blamed changing consumer tastes, rising costs and the decline of pubs. Cask brands including Doom Bar, Sea Fury and Atlantic Pale Ale will transfer to Camerons, an independent brewer in Hartlepool, County Durham.

CAMRA Kernow chairman Dave Pedlar called the move 'a betrayal of the founders of Sharp's' and the 40 workers facing redundancy.

Campaigners are demanding 'pasty-style' legal protection to stop Molson Coors marketing Doom Bar as a Cornish product once it is brewed in County Durham.

Doom Bar's fate mirrors Wainwright ale, which is still sold as a 'Lake District Original' despite being brewed in Wolverhampton.