Pub group and brewer Greene King has received approval for its planned £40 million brewery in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
West Suffolk Council’s development control committee gave the green light to Greene King's proposal during a meeting on 8 January.
Greene King first proposed the custom-built facility in April last year, to be located next to its new distribution centre. The brewery will continue the company’s 200-year history of brewing in Bury St Edmunds, dating back to its founding in 1799.
The new brewery will be designed to significantly enhance the sustainability of Greene King's brewing operations. Water usage in the brewing process per pint is expected to be reduced by more than 50%, along with improvements in energy efficiency. The facility is part of Greene King's efforts to meet its science-based environmental targets, including achieving carbon net zero by 2040 and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.
Greene King's brewing operations will continue at its current Westgate Brewery throughout the construction of the new site, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.
West Suffolk Council wrote in its approval documents: “The retention of the Greene King Brewery in the town will safeguard jobs, many of which are highly skilled and well paid. The development would also ensure that the brewery’s association with the town of Bury St Edmunds will continue which brings benefits to the town and boosts tourism.”
When the new brewery plan was revealed last year, Nick Mackenzie, chief executive officer at Greene King, said: “Brewing in Bury St Edmunds is a core part of Greene King’s DNA. This investment represents a further and significant ongoing commitment to our brewing operations in a town which has such a rich and storied connection with our business and with brewing. As we seek to make our operations more sustainable, our new brewery will future proof our ability to brew our much-loved brands, as we create a thriving modern hospitality business.”
At that time, Matt Starbuck, managing director of brewing and brands at Greene King, said: “We have been brewing in Bury St Edmunds for over 200 years. We are passionate about our craft and the development of this state-of-the-art facility will allow us to maintain brewing at the core of our business going forwards. We are excited by the opportunity that this affords and the chance to invest in innovation and the development of our world-class beer portfolio.”
Following the planning approval, Greene King's CEO, Nick Starbuck, told the BBC: “We are excited to get started on building our new state-of-the-art site – which we believe will bring benefits to the local community, economy, and our customers – and we will continue to work with local stakeholders throughout the process.”
In recent years, Greene King has invested in a new multi-million-pound distribution centre, located next to the new brewery site in Bury St Edmunds, as well as over £9 million in its historic Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar.
Greene King employs around 40,000 people across the country, both directly and indirectly, including through its pubs and restaurants. In 2023, the company reported a revenue of £2.38 billion, with an adjusted operating profit of £186.1 million. Additionally, Greene King welcomed 944 new apprentices across its business that year.
Greene King recently invested in two new kitchens to train over 60 prison leavers per year, in line with its commitment to hire 400 prison leavers by the end of 2025 through its Releasing Potential programme.
