Satisfying results

They called the results "satisfying". Interesting choice of words. At the end of the third quarter, Carlsberg Breweries’ operating profit amounts to DKK 2.8 billion against DKK 1.8 billion last year (+55%). Growth in volumes also continues. Beer sales rose to 51.5 million hl (+16%) and soft drinks to 10.3 million hl (+25%).
Orkla, the 40% stakeholder in Carlsberg Breweries, reports that on the Nordic markets Carlsberg Breweries witnessed profit growth except in Sweden. This was blamed on the general market trend for beer and the integration process following the merger of Sweden’s brewers Pripps and Falcon into Carlsberg Breweries.
In the UK market the situation continues to be challenging.
In Russia, BBH has managed to increase its market share to 28 percent..

Interbrew on target

Despite the impact of 11 September, Interbrew believes to be on target to achieve its full year growth objectives. For the year 2001 Interbrew aims at an organic EBITDA growth of at least 8 percent and a growth in EPS before goodwill amortisation of at least 12 percent. This optimism is based on trading results for the first nine months of this year. Compared with the period last year and excluding Bass Brewers, both volume and net turnover were up 18 percent and 28 percent respectively. EBITDA grew 12 percent to 924.1 million Euro. Organic growth of operating profit was 14 percent, organic volume growth 2.8 percent. During the first nine months of 2001 Interbrew produced 56.1 million hl of beer and a net turnover of 4.5 billion Euro. Trading in emerging markets, i.e..

Celeste Aida The consolidation of the Italian beer market

What would you call a man whose chat-up line is: "Heavenly Aida, divine vision,/mystic garland of light and flowers,/ you rule my thoughts,/ you are the light of my life./" Would you call him a man of many words? A hopeless romantic? Over the top? Actually, you’d better call him one of the Three Tenors.

Luciano Pavarotti - that’s the bulkiest one of the three with the pitch black beard and the white towel round his neck - has made his fame and fortune being Radames. Just to fill in those of you who’d rather listen to Lionel Richie: Radames is the Egyptian general in the opera "Aida" who has got some of the most beautiful arias of opera history to sing. And some of the most difficult too. Like when the opera begins." Ahhhh. Sigh..... It is as dry as the desert.....
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Interbrew explores options

Interbrew announced that it was in talks with Union Breweries, the second largest brewer in Slovenia, in order to explore a partnership. According to the Barth Report, Slovenian breweries produced 2.5 million hl of beer in 2000.

Triple blow

The UK’s tourist industry expects that the terrorist atrocities in the US will cost it £1 billion in the final quarter this year. This latest blow will have a deeper effect than even the foot&mouth crisis earlier in the year and the economic slowdown. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the number of overseas visitors to the UK fell 6% to 16.4 million between January and August. The amount of money spent dropped 10% to £7.8 billion during the first eight months.
Already a war of beliefs is raging in the City of London as to the effects of the economic slowdown on alcohol consumption. While many argue that the pub trade is recession-proof, dissident voices can be heard too that UK-based brewers may not be the safe haven investors are looking.0%, wine by 8..

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%..

Only talking

Scottish&Newcastle, the UK’s major brewer, seems to be in talks with Miller Brewing Company, the US’s second largest brewer, about a series of possible ventures in Europe. S&N already has a distribution contract with Miller for Britain and Ireland and would like to take Miller further into Spain, Italy and Germany. Interesting, is all we say. At present, Miller is distributed in Germany by Miller Brands, a company owned by Germany’s no 1 brewer Warsteiner. And Grolsch of the Netherlands has only recently signed a contract with Miller for France and the Netherlands, despite the fact that S&N owns France’s Kronenbourg. Moreover, in Italy, Kronenbourg is with Birra Peroni which also brews and markets Bud. Another instance of the brewing industry’s promiscuity?

Punch to go public next year

Despite a gloomy outlook for the alcohol sector and financial markets being in turmoil, the UK’s giant pub group, Punch, plans to go public next year. Punch controls 5,100 pubs. Its chairman and founder of the group, Hugh Osmond, bought the Allied Domecq pubs two years ago and has since built an empire of 4,100 tenanted and leased pubs and 1,000 managed pubs. To prepare for the float, Osmond has split the company into two divisions - the tenanted pubs division and the managed pubs division.

What’s in a name

The Brewers and Licensed Retailers Association, formerly known as the Brewers Society, has unveiled yet another new name and logo. It is to be called the British Beer & Pub Association. This is the second time in seven years that it has changed its name. Before 1994 the association was called the Brewers’ Society. The name change was explained with reference to the altered landscape in the UK brewing industry. With the name change also comes a change in location. The British Beer & Pub Association has moved its offices from Portland Square in the West End of London to Vauxhall in South London.

Coffee to go at McDonald’s

The fast food giant McDonald’s is planning to sell its UK coffee bar chain "Aroma", set up 10 years ago. Big Mac bought the chain just two years ago for £10 million. The business then consisted of 23 outlets, had annual sales of £10 million and a staff of 300. The number of outlets has since risen to 35. The asking price is £15 million. The sale marks the departure of McDonald’s from Britain’s fast-growing coffee bar sector. Apparently the sector had become too crowded even for the likes of McDonald’s. However, in the US, the Big Mac is keen to develop its coffee shop concept, "McCafe", further.