Scottish & Newcastle is to close its Berkshire brewery, a familiar landmark to drivers as they pass Reading on the M4 motorway to the west of London. It follows S&N’s closure in 2004 of its Fountainbridge brewery in Edinburgh and the Tyne brewery in Newcastle, both historic sites for the group.

Closure costs will amount to £22m ($43m), including redundancy payments for 362 job losses. S&N will invest £15m at its other breweries, where production will be increased. The closure will eventually save S&N £13m a year which the company said would “enable it to remain competitive within the UK market”.