Black Sheep Brewery Rescued by Paramount Retail Group in £6.5M Deal - BTS

Black Sheep Brewery, a Yorkshire-based craft beer producer, has been rescued from collapse through a £6.5 million acquisition by Paramount Retail Group, owner of Saltaire Brewery, in a pre-pack administration deal completed on January 22, 2026. The rescue follows Black Sheep’s parent company filing for administrator appointment in November 2025 and comes after the brewery reported a £3.1 million loss in 2024 amid inflation, high borrowing costs, and weak demand. The deal includes a £2 million investment into Black Sheep and will preserve 145 jobs. A new entity, Great British Drinks Company, was formed to oversee the transition. Black Sheep had accumulated over £6 million in debt, including liabilities to HMRC, and had faced insolvency threats four times since the pandemic. The brewery was acquired in 2023 by Breal Capital for £5 million, which later consolidated it into Keystone Brewing Group. The craft beer sector has seen rising insolvencies, with Maazars reporting an 82% increase in brewery failures in 2023. Ravi Sharma of Great British Drinks Company emphasized restoring Yorkshire’s brewing heritage and rebuilding supplier relationships.