Drinks company hires bank to advise on £200m sale

A UK-based producer or spirits and wines has appointed investment bank Rothschild to advise on a way forward, with options including a £200m sale of the company.

Halewood Wines & Spirits, which produces famous household names including Lambrini, Crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer and The Pogues whiskey, has confirmed that it is examining several strategic options for its shareholders, including a sale of the whole business.

The firm’s CEO Stewart Hainsworth said that the sale would be a natural progression on the back of a period of sustained growth for the firm. A recent re-focusing of the core business to concentrate on artisanal spirits and craft beers has driven a large increase in profits for Halewood.

Hainsworth added: “This is an exciting time for the business, which our management team have been working towards for three years.

“Our success has been driven by investment in equipment, acquisitions and marketing support and further fuelled by a high growth brand portfolio, which includes Whitley Neill, currently the number one premium gin brand by volume in UK Supermarkets.”

Named for its founder John Halewood, the drinks firm was established in 1978 and has since become one of the country’s largest independent beverage firms. Since then, Lambrini has become one of the country’s best known brands while Crabbie’s has become a summer staple for many.

A renewed focus on the premium market saw the firm introduce new brands such as Liverpool Gin, Whitley Neill gin and Dead Man’s Fingers rum, as well as buying new facilities at the Lake District brewery Hawkshead and the City of London Distillery.
Hainsworth also said that the company was working towards offering the best to its customers in the meantime.

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