ARCHERS, the Swindon brewery, has gone into administration – for the third time in its 30 year life. Seven jobs are at risk.

It brewed its final beer last week and closed its doors on Friday although the administrators are looking for a new buyer.

“It is sad that Archers has slipped into administration,” said Paul McConnell, an insolvency practitioner with Monahans, who is the agent of the company.

“We are actively seeking a buyer to try and keep the beers in production.

“The fact that we have been brought in as administrators is due to the current economic climate.”

Established in 1979, the brewery has been handcrafting and brewing award-winning ales for 30 years and when it last fell into administration in 2007 it was saved by John Williams, a local entrepreneur.

He bought the business and assets of Archers and at that time it secured the employment of more than a dozen staff at the Penzance Drive site.

Mr Williams snapped up the business and assets for an undisclosed amount, as a going concern, after the company ran into financial difficulties.

Mr Williams, 62, had hoped to bring a new direction to the brewery and at the time of buying the brewery described it as “an investment for the future.”

The administrators then were PricewaterhouseCoopers and David Bennett, a director and joint administrator said: “We are very pleased to have been able to save both the brand and the jobs of local people.”

Archers brewed more than 190 different ales making it a producer of one of the largest range of cask ales worldwide.

Unless a buyer comes forward in the next few weeks it is unlikely that the brewery will survive.