Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame has warned many city centre pubs “may close for good” as it reported a pre-tax loss. The brewer, which owns and operates 319 pubs across London and the South East, saw a pre-tax loss of £2.9 million for the year ending June 27, down from an £11.4 million profit the previous year. The brewer saw turnover for the year decreased to £123.6 million, down from £145.8 million.