Asahi Group’s UK subsidiary has agreed the divestment of wholesale business Nectar Imports to Irish distributor & brand owner C&C Group.
The deal, completion of which is expected in October, will see Nectar Imports “fully integrated” into C&C’s Bristol-headquartered Matthew Clark Bibendum (MCB) wholesale operation. The transaction includes customer & supplier contracts, vehicles, stock, operating technology & systems and the lease of a depot in the south-west of England, C&C Group said.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Nectar Imports, which was acquired by Asahi Group in 2019, supplies on-premise operators including pub & hotel group Fuller Smith Turner. The deal will see Asahi UK’s direct-distribution service from Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in London transfer to MCB.
C&C, which owns beer brand Tennent’s and cider brands Bulmers, Magners & Orchard Pig, will also take over distribution of Asahi’s portfolio in the UK.
“Following a thorough review of Nectar Imports and the evolving market landscape, we concluded that MCB is the right long-term home for both our Nectar and our existing direct distribution customers,” said Asahi UK’s MD, Tim Clay. “We believe this proposed agreement creates the best outcome for our customers and strengthens our route-to-market.
“Importantly, it allows us to sharpen our focus on what we do best: brewing exceptional beers, building premium brands and investing in future growth.”
C&C’s CEO, Roger White, added: “This move represents an attractive opportunity to provide a significant number of new customers with MCB market-leading service and range proposition [while] at the same time, driving immediate scale and efficiency into the group’s operations. We expect the majority of the customer and supplier transitions to be completed at pace in the coming weeks.”
In July, Asahi’s Grolsch subsidiary increased its stake in Dutch brewer Gulpener from 15% to total control.
