asahi beer

Asahi has finally got its mitts on Peroni and Grolsch in the UK.

The Japanese brewer’s acquisition of Miller Brands for €2.55bn (£2.3bn), which also produces Meantime, as well well as Poland’s Lech lager and Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic, was completed this week in conjunction with AB InBev’s acquisition of SAB Miller.

The formation of Asahi UK, previously known as Miller Brands UK, would help Asahi to lead the development of the Continent’s ‘super-premium’ beer sector, while the wider acquisition marked the beginning of “one of the world’s great beer companies”, claimed Asahi Europe CEO Hector Gorosabel, previously regional MD for Western & Central Europe at SAB Miller.

Nevertheless, it would be “very much business as usual” said Asahi UK’s managing director, Gary Haigh, formerly MD of Miller Brands UK.

“The acquisition represents a name change, but our ambition remains unchanged. We’re really happy to get on with building the super premium category and to deliver great margins to customers. Despite the challenging business context of the last year, we haven’t taken our foot off the pedal and had a cracking half year and I’m sure there will be plenty of exciting new things to come.”

Operations would continue to be based at the Miller offices in Woking, and Asahi UK would distribute the likes of Pilsner Urquell, Kozel and St Stefanus though ownership of Miller Genuine Draft has been passed to Carling owner Molson Coors.

Peroni would play a significant part in the new company’s plans, having been a key driver in the growth of the UK’s super-premium sector, Haigh added, accounting for over half the volume of the currently worth £1.3bn UK super premium beer sector, and which accounts for more than a quarter of the London beer market.

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