'Gut Punch': Beer Production to End at Brewery's Home
Lion Australia will shift brewing to the mainland and offer a $500,000 reskilling fund for 42 affected workers, the company said.
- On Tuesday, Lion announced the Launceston brewery will cease production in November, ending 145 years of beer manufacturing in Tasmania and shifting operations to mainland Australia.
- Lion CEO Anubha Sahasrabuddhe cited long-term decline in the national beer market and significant cost inflation; the facility operates at one-fifth capacity, making the brewery no longer viable.
- The closure impacts 42 employees, prompting Lion to establish a $500,000 reskilling fund and commit $500,000 for community organizations over four years, while repaying a $1 million state government grant.
- Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff labeled the announcement "extremely disappointing," while Labor MP Janie Finlay called the shutdown a "gut punch" for Launceston workers and the community.
- Despite the production shift, the recently revamped brewhouse and hospitality operations will remain open, with Lion collaborating with the City of Launceston to revitalize the William Street site.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Historic Tasmanian Brewery to Close After 145 Years
Japanese-owned beverage giant Lion has announced a plan to close its James Boag’s Brewery in Launceston, Tasmania in November 2026. The move would cut 42 jobs and end 145 years of brewing on the historic site. Lion cited the “significant cost inflation” along with the long-term decline in the national beer market as reasons for the decision. The brewery is operating at only about one fifth of its capacity at the current time. Lion Australian CEO…
Sydney Morning Herald
James Boags Brewery in Tasmania set to close after 145 years
After 145 years, the James Boags Brewery in Launceston will shut its doors.
'Gut punch': beer production to end at brewery's home
After more than 140 years, the production taps will be turned off at the home of James Boag’s beer. Owner Lion, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Kirin, has blamed declining beer sales nationwide as one reason for its shutdown of the brewery in Launceston in northern Tasmania. The brewery opened in 1881, with Scotland’s James Boag and his son taking over two years later. Lion said the brewery was currently operating at about one-fifth of it…
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