‘Bitterly disappointed’ - Iconic Liverpool brewery collapses into administration for second time

Liverpool’s Love Lane Brewery, which served its beer at the 151st Open golf tournament on the Wirral this summer, has entered into administration just over 18 months after being rescued by a £300,000 injection of funds.

Paul Stanley and Jason Greenhalgh of Begbies Traynor were appointed as joint administrators of Love Lane Brewery Limited on Thursday, 5 October. However, the Love Lane Brewery Bar & Kitchen, on Bridgewater Street, in the Baltic Triangle, will continue trading as normal.

A spokesman for the brewery said: "Unfortunately, the challenges have been too great and it is with a heavy heart that we announce Love Lane Brewery Ltd has gone into administration. This situation is made more frustrating after a considerable investment in the company in early 2023. Sadly, the business struggled to get back to the heights of pre-Covid sales.

"The business has made a significant impact and there are several conversations in play with potential purchasers and we would hope one of these will materialise quickly and for Love Lane products to get back on the shelves once more.

"We are all bitterly disappointed with the situation we find ourselves in but would remind people that the operation of Love Lane Brewery Bar and Kitchen will remain unaffected."

The business also went into administration in June 2022, owing more than £1.5m, but was rescued by former Iceland boss Nick Canning, who invested a further £300,000 in the company.

This week’s collapse into administration comes against a backdrop of difficult trading conditions - with challenges including inflation and fuel price hikes - which have hit microbreweries in particular, as our colleagues at Insider Media report.