AB-InBev to sell the Gilde brewery in Hannover

AB-InBev must be glad that they have found a buyer for their Hannover brewery, which has long been surplus to their requirements in Germany. According to estimates, beer production at Gilde is only 150,000 hl although the plant has a capacity of over 1 million hl.

The buyer will be TCB, a German producer of private label beers with three plants – two in Germany and one in France – which have a combined capacity of 10 million hl beer.

The rumoured price is EUR 15 million.

When Belgium’s Interbrew bought Gilde in 2002 for EUR 575 million they were mainly interested in Gilde’s subsidiary, the Hasseröder brewery, which then brewed a popular eastern German brand. To clinch the deal with Gilde, which was valued at EUR 64 million then, Interbrew had to buy out the city of Hannover, which held a 10 percent minority stake in Gilde. In return for the city’s consent, Interbrew had to give a guarantee that they would keep Gilde running until 2020. Over the years there has been frequent speculation that Gilde could be closed down.

At the end of July 2015 the city of Hannover formally agreed to Gilde being sold again, which means the transaction can go ahead over the summer.

TCB have already said that as part of the deal they will invest up to EUR 5 million, including a new canning line, and increase production.