Jobs secure at Refresh - for now
Following yesterday's acquisition of Oxfordshire brewer Refresh, Marston's chief executive Ralph Findlay pledged to continue operating the business as normal.
"We will continue operating in Oxfordshire, and will retain as much of the business as possible," Findlay told thepublican.com.
There were "no current plans" to cut any of the 50 jobs at Refresh's Wychwood brewery in Witney near Oxford,he added, although he declined to rule out job losses completely.
Describing the build up to the deal, believed to be worth up to £15m, Findlay said the Midlands brewer had approached Refresh shareholder and chief executive Rupert Thompson.
"We've known the business, its people and its brands for a long time. We've been developing a plan to increase our premium ales and in a series of conversations with Rupert we decided Refresh could go further.
The presence of Refresh within the Marston's portfolio should boost the Midlands brewer's presence in the take-home market, particularly supermarkets, Findlay added.
"In the take home sector Refresh is number three in premium bottled ale and with Marston's products that will become number two behind Scottish & Newcastle, from seven to an 18 per cent share."
The combination of the two businesses would improve business prospects with supermarkets, Findlay said, while the breadth of the brand offer would be "unrivalled", both across Marston's free-trade customers and its own pubs.
Refresh's main brands include Manns, Wychwood and Brakspear ales, as well as a distribution deal with German lager Löwenbrau.
