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Pub company announces hundreds of jobs could go

Martin Giles/BBC Greene King's Watergate Brewery, in Bury St Edmunds. It is predominantly an orange-coloured brick building in front or a cream-coloured building, which is displaying the Greene King logo.Martin Giles/BBC
Greene King's Watergate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds has been in operation since 1799

Hundreds of jobs have been put at risk after a major pub company announced plans to “restructure” its workforce to ensure the future of the firm.

Staff at Greene King in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and its offices in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, are set to be affected by changes to its “central support functions”.

The firm said the shake-up – which could see more than 200 office and field-based jobs lost - was “necessary” in order for the company to “thrive in these challenging times”.

“We are working with representatives to support our team members and limit job losses," a spokesperson added.

Greene King A mock-up image of what Greene King's new brewery could look like. It is green and black. Cars can be seen parked outside while visitors look around.Greene King
Greene King plans to open a new state-of-the-art £40m brewery in Suffolk by 2027

The news of the restructure comes after Greene King revealed plans for a new £40m brewery in Bury St Edmunds, due to open by 2027.

The pub chain currently operates out of its Westgate Brewery site, from which it has produced cask ales since it was founded in 1799.

“We have made strong progress on our business and cultural transformation journey,” added the spokesperson.

“Now is the right time to move into the next phase.

“A restructure of central support functions is necessary for the business to thrive for a sustainable future in these challenging times and be best placed to delight customers and deliver outstanding experiences.”

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