Interbrew to sell Carling Brewers
Interbrew’s year-long wrangling with the UK’s competition authorities has given the brewing world a taste of things to come. The bigger the deals, the longer it will take to get over the competition hurdles. In any case, the UK Secretary of State, Patricia Hewitt, on 18 September finally announced her decision on Interbrew’s "British File".
This left Interbrew with two options: either sell Bass Brewers altogether. The buyer would have to be approved by the
Director General. Or sell Carling Brewers to a buyer also approved by the Director General. Together with the former Whitbread brands, Stella Artois and Boddington’s but excluding the licensed Heineken volumes, this would leave Interbrew with a market share of 15.8%. These brands represent a UK market share of 19%..
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