Heineken assumes ownership of Beavertown Brewery, Carlsberg Marston’s to close Jenning’s brewery

09-Sep-2022 - Last updated on 09-Sep-2022 at 11:03 GMT

Heineken now owns Beavertown Brewery

Heineken UK has purchased the remaining shares in Beavertown Brewery assuming full ownership of London brewery while Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has announced proposals to close Jennings Brewery.

Heineken UK has purchased the remaining shares in Beavertown Brewery assuming full ownership of London brewery. The purchase amount for the remaining shares was not be disclosed.

As part of the agreement between the two companies, founder Logan Plant will step down as chief executive and take on a new advisory role, with Jochen Van Esch taking on the new managing director role.

Heineken UK purchased a minority share in Beavertown in 2018, and since then has invested significantly in the brewery in North London. Beavertown will continue to be operated separately to Heineken UK with its own functional teams including sales, marketing, brewing and wider existing teams.

Huge growth potential

Boudewijn Haarsma, managing director at Heineken UK said: “This is a hugely positive step, and builds on a partnership that will see Beavertown continue to expand and flourish, while remaining committed to its independent creativity. Heineken will fully support Beavertown’s brand position, inimitable creativity and huge growth potential, and will do so in a way that preserves its unique approach to beer.”

It is expected that the new ownership structure will allow the brand to grow significantly and could see up to 50 new jobs being created.

Meanwhile, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has announced proposals to close Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth in early October this year.

CMBC’s logistics based at Jennings Brewery will continue to operate as normal while options for the site are explored, including potential for sale. The company said that following the closure of the brewery, Jennings Cumberland Cask ale and bottled beer brands will be produced at Marston’s Brewery in Burton.

The business said it is providing support to staff affected throughout this period and is actively exploring opportunities for redeployment within CMBC.

Consultation

Paul Davies, ceo Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the team at Jennings Brewery, and our priority over the coming weeks will be to ensure they have the support they need as we enter a period of consultation.”

Davies said that Jennings had operated below capacity for a number of years and has seen a significant decline in volumes.

“The impact of which has been made more significant by the pandemic. Over the course of the past year, we have carefully considered all options for the brewery and have reached the extremely difficult decision to close the brewery,” he said.

“We understand this news will be very difficult for our team at Jennings and disappointing to many other colleagues, consumers and customers. But with the economic headwinds impacting our industry we must continue to make the difficult choices we believe are needed to ensure CMBC is well placed to navigate the unprecedented external challenges we are facing, and ensure we are able to grow and sustain our position as a leading business in the brewing industry."