Lion is moving 20 million litres of annual brewing out of its Boag's Brewery in Launceston to boost the efficiency of its national brewery network.
The rethink will see only Boag's beers brewed in Launceston and will result in the loss of 39 jobs, and additional impacts to contractor roles.
Since Lion acquired the Boag's business in 2007, various national brands have been produced in Launceston for export to the mainland.
“This change will essentially return the Boag’s Brewery to its traditional focus on the Boag’s portfolio of Tasmanian beers, which is still a very substantial 36 million litres," James Brindley, managing director Lion Beer, Spirits & Wine Australia said.
“We have capacity in our national network and the Boag’s Brewery in its current format is also under-utilised. This change will allow us to reconfigure the Boag’s Brewery to a size more appropriate for the Boag’s portfolio, significantly improving efficiency.”
Brindley also said: “This is not something we have taken lightly and is no reflection on the dedication and capability of our people at the Boag’s Brewery or the importance of the Tasmanian market to our business. We recognise the impact this will have on our people and we will be providing them with comprehensive support to help them manage this transition.”
The transition is expected to be completed by the end of September 2016.
Lion says it will continue to source malt, yeast and the Tasmanian Super Pride hops that are used to craft Boag’s beers from local suppliers and the Boag’s Centre for Beer Lovers will continue to operate.
