Marlow Brewery Founders Hand Control to Staff in Employee Ownership Trust Transfer
Founders Tim Coombes and Mark Gloyens have transferred control of the Rebellion Beer Company to an Employee Ownership Trust, a move designed to secure the long-term future of the Buckinghamshire firm. “We are really pleased that the future of the business will be safe in Marlow for years to come,” Gloyens said, according to bbc.com. The transition shifts management responsibilities directly to the workforce amid broader pressures across the UK brewing sector.
Brewery Operations and Community Impact at Bencombe Farm
Operating from Bencombe Farm in Marlow Bottom, the brewery was established in 1993 by Coombes and Gloyens to revive local brewing following the 1987 closure of the 200-year-old Wethered’s Brewery. Today, the company employs approximately 75 staff members and produces 87,000 pints of beer weekly, with more than 95 percent sold within a 30-mile radius of the town. Chef Tom Kerridge, whose restaurants are supplied by the firm, noted that Rebellion has “always been a people first company” and called the transfer heartwarming and exciting.
Industry Pressures and Future Expansion Plans
The leadership change comes against a backdrop of wider industry uncertainty marked by recent closures and threats across the UK beer market, including the closure of Sharp’s Brewery in Rock, Cornwall, by Molson Coors and threatened job losses at Marston’s in Burton, as reported by Insider Media Ltd. While Coombes and Gloyens will remain involved over the next few years to support a new management team of long-term employees, the business is also preparing for a crowdfunding campaign in early 2027. According to the Bucks Free Press, that upcoming raise aims to fund expanded brewing capacity, on-site green energy generation, carbon dioxide capture technology, and upgrades to the tap yard.
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