Brewery axed after 153 years

AROUND 30 jobs are at risk after drinks giant Heineken announced it plans to close the historic Caledonian Brewery.

The company has said the Victorian infrastructure at the 153-year-old plant in Edinburgh ‘is no longer economically viable’ amid falling production in the past decade.

Matt Callan, Heineken’s UK supply chain director, said ‘Our primary focus is the 30 colleagues based there and we’ll now enter a period of consultation.’

The Caledonian Brewery was established in 1869. Heineken took over in 2008 after buying owners Scottish & Newcastle.

A deal has been struck for the Caledonian beers Deuchars, Maltsmiths and Coast to Coast to be produced at Belhaven Brewery near Dunbar, East Lothian.