Lion to close the Mac’s Brewery in Wellington
Nov 26, 2009
Author: Lion
Lion Nathan has decided to relocate the Mac’s Craft Beer production capability from Wellington to the Canterbury Brewery, Christchurch and close the Mac’s Brewery in Wellington.
The Wellington Brewery is a higher-cost facility relative to our other breweries but up until now we considered this a component of our investment in building the Mac’s brand and its reputation for brewing innovation.
However the brand has developed to a point where consumer adoration for Mac’s no longer depends on the Wellington Brewery underpinning the brand’s reputation for brewing innovation. The maturity of the Mac’s brand and the introduction of the Mac’s Brewbars throughout the country have contributed to this change in consumer attitude, to the extent that we can now no longer justify the expense of operating the Wellington Brewery.
As well, as the demand for the Mac’s Craft range has grown, the limited capacity of the Wellington Brewhouse has been stretched, and in the past 12 months the brewery has been operating 80% ahead of our forecast production plan to meet demand.
This means it makes good commercial sense to transfer the Mac’s Brewhouse to Canterbury Brewery. There we will effectively operate a craft brewery within the brewery; with the flexibility to meet current and future production requirements for Mac’s far more effectively than within the constraints of the Wellington site, while maintaining the 40hl craft brewing capacity.
Mac’s has a strong heritage of innovation and excellence in craft brewing and this decision allows us to build on that tradition and position the brand for continued success.
We will maintain a dedicated Mac’s brewer who will still brew the craft beers with the same passion and hand-crafted approach as now, while being able to call on the resources and support of the Canterbury Brewing Team to ensure that the Mac’s Craft Range continues to delight craft beer drinkers.
The Mac’s Brewhouse will be positioned within the Canterbury Brewery so that the fermenters are showcased on Antigua Street and the Mac’s brand is given profile externally at the Brewery.
We aim to cease brewing at Wellington mid-February 2010 and to have completed the transfer of the Brewhouse and be brewing at Canterbury from May 2010. The decision affects six roles at the Wellington Brewery.
