Carlsberg to acquire Britvic
Image: Britvic
Danish brewer, Carlsberg, has agreed a £3.3 billion deal to acquire British producer of soft drinks, Britvic.
Britvic, whose canned and aluminium bottle offerings in the UK include Aqua Libra, Tango, Purdeys and Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, accepted the £13.15 a share offer after having rejected a previous lower takeover offer.
Carlsberg said it would create a single beverage company called Carlsberg Britvic to grow its business in the UK and western Europe.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the Britvic acquisition would add “some diversification” to Carlsberg’s portfolio. “The Danish outfit is having to react to a world in which younger age groups are less likely to indulge heavily in alcohol,” he commented.
In a separate deal, Carlsberg also agreed to take control of its UK brewing joint venture with Marston’s, which makes beers from brands including Hobgoblin and Pedigree. Marston’s confirmed it will receive £206m to sell Carlsberg its 40% stake in the venture.
