North Yorkshire’s famous Black Sheep Brewery has been saved.
The newly-formed Great British Drinks Company has bought the brewery’s owner Keystone Brewing Group which filed noticed to call in administrators last year.
The Great British Drinks company was created by the family behind Paramount Retail Group.
The £6.5m deal also includes other Keystone companies, including Purity Brewing and Fourpure.
It saves 145 jobs, and the new owners aim to rebuild the breweries and their brands.
Sunny Sharma, co-founder of Great British Drinks Company, says the brands “aren’t just businesses, they are community and local tourism assets”.
Founded in 1992 by Paul Theakston after he left the family Theakston brewery, the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham sells its beers in pubs and supermarkets across the country.
Ravi Sharma, co-founder of Great British Drinks Company, said: “This isn’t just a restoration deal – it’s about restoring pride to Yorkshire.
“The region has a proud brewing heritage, and we could not stand by and let that be lost.
“The next few months will be exciting, the business has some fantastic people, brilliant customers and a group of suppliers that we will be very focussed on rebuilding relationships with.
“The Great British Drinks company is open for business and here for the long term.”
The company has agreed to invest £2 million into Black Sheep as part of the deal.
It’s the second time Black Sheep has been saved. It went into administration in 2023 before being acquired by the Keystone Group.
Black Sheep Brewing Company recorded a £3.1m loss in 2024, the last year in which figures are available.
