Exmoor Ales closure: Somerset brewery shuts - but Exmoor Gold, Stag and Beast will be made by Hogs Back in Surrey

But the team at Exmoor Ales - which created Exmoor Gold, Exmoor Stag and Exmoor Beast - has said its beers will continue after signing a deal with another brewery elsewhere in the country.

Exmoor managing director Jonathan Price told Somerset Live that the company had faced “challenging times” in recent years. It has said it will close its brewery in Wiveliscombe in Somerset, and transfer production to the Hogs Back Brewery in Surrey.

Mr Price said: "It is shocking to have to close a brewery, but the environment for small brewers has been one of decline since Covid. I don’t know how many small breweries have closed down, but likely in the hundreds."

Exmoor’s head brewer will oversee production at Hogs Back Brewery, using the same recipes and yeast, and distribution will continue from Wiveliscombe. Hogs Back - which makes the well-known Hogs Back Tea as well as ciders - will assist with national sales.

Mr Price said: “Foreign global brewers now represent 92% of the UK beer market and continue to march forward, well able to sustain the economic ups and downs. Recent tax increases, minimum wage increases and the new bottle tax weigh heavily on the smaller player."

“This collaboration with another brewer addresses the economics of running a brewery at a high level. What we have here is a genuine ‘partnership’, not a ‘takeover’, which will preserve the independence of the Exmoor brand, and continuity of distribution from Wiveliscombe, preserving as many jobs as possible and providing a good base to grow the business for the longer-term future."

Mr Price did not rule out brewing returning to Somerset in the future, and said that Exmoor Ales is planning to expand its range with a new lager, a low-alcohol beer, and a new IPA.