Heineken pronounces acquisition of Strongbow Australia
Heineken expands its business in Australia to include five beer and cider brands
Heineken acquires cider brand Strong bow from Asahi Group Holdings Limited in Australia along with two other cider brands, Little green and Bonamys. The company will also receive perpetual licenses for beer brands Stella Artois and Becks in Australia.
The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and comes after a successful bid for these brands when Asahi put them up for sale by the Australian Competition and Consumers Commission (ACCC) as a condition for the acquisition of Carlton & United Breweries (CUB).
Asahi has given the ACCC a court promise to dispose of the five brands. The company also requires Asahi to ensure that the divested brands have equal access to bars, pubs, clubs and off-premise spaces as Asahi's brands under tap-tying agreements by June 2023.
Strongbow was first developed by H.P. Bulmer, founded in 1887 by Percy Bulmer, the 20-year-old son of a local clergyman. Ownership of the brand went to Scottish & Newcastle when they acquired H.P. Bulmer acquired.
In Australia and New Zealand, Scottish & Newcastle's shares were sold to Foster & # 39; s, CUB's predecessor, who had inherited the Strongbow brand in those two countries. In 2008, as part of a consortium, Heineken acquired Scottish & Newcastle along with the Strongbow brand outside of Australia and New Zealand.
As of recently, Strongbow has become a leading global brand of cider, sold in more than 40 countries. The acquisition of the Strongbow brand in Australia marks a milestone as it reunites with the global Strongbow portfolio after 17 years.
“We are very excited to bring the Strongbow brand to Heineken in Australia and to expand our beer and cider portfolio in one of the world's leading beer and cider markets. This acquisition shows that Heineken will continue to actively seek growth when we see opportunities that are in line with our long-term strategy, ”said Jacco Van Der Linden, President of Heineken APAC.
The five brands acquired are distributed in Australia by Drinkworks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heineken. This will strengthen Drinkworks' existing premium beer and cider portfolio in Australia, including tiger, Sol, Monteith Beer and cider and Orchard thieves Cider.
