Adnams, the Suffolk-based brewer behind the popular Ghost Ship ale, has laid off staff as part of emergency measures to address deteriorating trading conditions.
The company told shareholders it has launched “a series of operational, commercial and labour management initiatives” following worse-than-expected sales in early 2026.
Adnams has been contacted for comment on the precise number of roles affected by the redundancies.
The brewer cited “continued pressure on consumer spending and subdued trading conditions” during the six months to June as the primary driver behind its difficulties.
The group posted a £1.4m pre-tax loss in the period, marginally smaller than the £1.5m shortfall recorded in the same period last year.
The firm’s turnover shrank by nine per cent to £27.4m, with chairman Simon Townsend acknowledging that performance was “below expectations during the first half of the year.”
Townsend attributed part of the revenue decline to the sale of several tenanted pubs in 2025, which had inflated turnover figures in that year.
Despite the difficult first half, Townsend said he has been “encouraged by the early results” of the company’s turnaround efforts, which were aided by “very favourable weather” and the FIFA World Cup.
Sales at its managed pubs in Suffolk and Norfolk jumped by 3.3 per cent in July, lifting profit across its pub arm by 10 per cent in the month.
Townsend also pointed to “encouraging evidence” of growth in retail beer sales, with bottom-line profitability at its Bury St Edmunds shop increasing five-fold following a relocation of the site.
“Trading with supermarkets also remained broadly in line with the previous year and continued to outperform the wider beer market,” the chairman added.
The group cut £2m from its operating expenses in the first half of the year through “improvements in efficiency, overhead control and operational discipline,” according to its accounts.
Adnams told shareholders at its annual general meeting that it intends to direct more capital and focus toward its pub estate rather than its brewing operations.
“We highlighted our view that Adnams is a hospitality business with a brewery at its heart. This remains the central organising principle of our strategy,” Townsend said.
“We own a distinctive collection of pubs, hotels and hospitality assets which provide attractive opportunities to improve returns through operational excellence and focused investment,” he added.
Earlier this year, Adnams announced plans to reduce alcohol content across several of its beers to capitalise on growing consumer demand for lower-strength options.
The business was founded by brothers George and Ernest Adnams in 1872 when they acquired the Sole Bay Brewery in Southwold, Suffolk, and is listed on the junior Aquis Stock Exchange.