According to the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), the brewery closure rate across the UK slowed during the first half of 2026. The total net brewery closure figure from January to June 2026 was -16, calculated by subtracting closures from new brewery openings, compared with a final figure of -137 for the whole of 2025. The UK recorded a record number of net brewery closures in 2025 as rising inflationary costs and lingering Covid debt put more businesses under pressure. Conversely, Scotland has suffered heavily this year, with the administrations of BrewDog and Innis & Gunn contributing to a decline in brewery numbers north of the border. Overall, Scotland recorded a net decline of -9, while the North East (-8), Midlands (-4), Northern Ireland (-4) and East of England (-1) also saw brewery numbers fall.