Fri, 11 Sep 2026 | DIVISION SALE
The UK wholesale business of beer brand Asahi has been acquired by Irish drinks manufacturer and distributor C&C Group. The deal sees C&C Group take on Woking-based Asahi UK’s direct distribution operations, in addition to subsidiary operation Nectar Imports, which supplies venues throughout the South of England.
Post-completion, the business will be integrated into the group’s Matthew Clark Bibendum (MCB) operations, which will enter into a long-term business partnership associated with Asahi brands in the UK.
All customer and supplier relationships and agreements, along with intellectual property, a leased depot and assets including vehicles and stock, will be taken over by the group. Following the agreement of terms, the deal is set to complete in early October.
Roger White, Chief Executive of C&C Group, commented: "This move represents an attractive opportunity to provide a significant number of new customers with MCB market leading service and range proposition whilst simultaneously delivering immediate scale and efficiency into the Group's operations, in line with our strategy.”
"We expect the majority of the customer and supplier transitions to be completed in the coming weeks, and for the acquisition to make a small positive contribution to the overall financial performance of MCB in FY27."
In the six months to August 31 2026, CWC Group has traded in line with expectations, with net revenues down 3 per cent from last year, along with 2 per cent growth in branded revenues and a 4 per cent decline in distribution revenues.
The group’s branded revenue growth was supported by continued momentum in its core brands Tennent’s and Bulmers, as well as targeted marketing activity based around the World Cup and favourable weather over the summer.
The decline in distribution revenue was driven primarily by the planned exit of certain lower margin customer business, along with the continued impact of an ongoing market decline in outlet numbers and some drinks categories.
The Dublin-based group’s underlying profit for the first half of the year is forecast to be in the €43 million to €44 million range and it remains on track to achieve full-year operating profit in line with market expectations.
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