As Masham celebrated the King’s Coronation, people in the small market town have spoken of hopes a buyer can be found for the Black Sheep Brewery. Last week, Black Sheep announced administrators had been appointed after being “hit very hard” by the pandemic and a rise in costs. The company, which employs around 50 members of staff, was founded in 1992 and has become a tourist hotspot bringing a significant amount of footfall to the town. One local business owner told the Stray Ferret people are worried about a potential loss of income for their own businesses if the brewery doesn’t survive. Tim Ledbetter, owner of Bentley’s of Masham, said: “With it being such a big employer, there is then a big knock-on effect. “We get a lot of trade from visitors of Black Sheep — it could be detrimental.” The brewery reported turnover of £14.3 million as of March 31, 2022, according to its most recent accounts. However, it also stated a pre-tax loss of £1.18 million, compared to £862, 871 profit in the previous year
