Close×

Lion has announced South Australia’s West End Brewery will close in June 2021. The long-term decline of the Australian beer market, the site operating below capacity and rising costs made the brewery no longer viable.

Lion said it had been operating below full production capacity for some time and that the decision was made to ensure the company had a sustainable brewing network into the future.

Per capita beer consumption over the last decade has dropped by around 20 per cent, it said.

Our input costs have continued to rise against this backdrop of declining volume, and a further drop in draught beer sales as a result of the pandemic.

“This is no reflection on the dedication or capability of our team at West End and their contribution to this brewery and our brands over many years.

“We recognise this is very difficult news and it comes at a particularly challenging time for our people,” the company said in a statement.

Around a third of the team would remain in South Australia across sales and sponsorship roles.

Packaging News

Earlier this month PKN published an article that voiced industry concern over the speculation that Qenos might be closing its polymer manufacturing plants in Australia. Qenos has remained silent on the matter. The MD of Qenos customer Impact International, Aleks Lajovic, wants some answers.

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, is the proud recipient of eight FPA Awards for innovative and sustainable contributions to the industry.

An impressive number of quality entries into the inaugural Hive Awards created a highly competitive line-up for judges to consider. The packaging category was one of the most strongly contested.