THE announcement that Newcastle Brown Ale is to be brewed in Yorkshire is news that will reverberate around the world.
Newcastle Brown Ale is the region’s most famous tipple, a global brand, and a North-East icon. It is as much a part of a Tyneside as the Tyne Bridge, St James’ Park and Alan Shearer.
Newcastle Brown Ale, brewed in Tadcaster, just doesn’t seem right.
Switching production from Newcastle to Gateshead was just about acceptable in Geordie eyes, but Tadcaster might as well be Timbuktu.
These are, of course, extremely challenging economic times and companies all over the world are having to make tough decisions they would not normally countenance.
We do not doubt that bosses at Scottish and Newcastle did not take the decision lightly, not least because of the 63 jobs now under threat.
But for a North-East institution to be moved in its entirety from the region is a sad state of affairs indeed.
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