Carlsberg nets San Miguel deal

Carlsberg is set to take over full responsibility for San Miguel in the UK from November.

The brewer will take control of the production, marketing, selling and distribution of the world beer brand, which has previously been distributed by Scottish and Newcastle.

As exclusively unveiled by Morning Advertiser in June, Spanish Group Mahou San Miguel, that licenses the brand to S&N, said it was keen to leave S&N following the British firm's acquisition by Heineken.

San Miguel and Heineken are fierce rivals in the Spanish market's lager category, and San Miguel claimed that it did not want to get into bed with its main rival.

The licensing and distribution deal with Mahou San Miguel will see Carlsberg UK become "the market-leader in the world beer segment, currently the fastest growing beer segment in the UK on-trade," according to the company.

Last summer, sources within S&N told Morning Advertiser that the company was in "talks" with San Miguel and very much "fighting" to keep the brand within the portfolio.

Mahou-San Miguel Group said: "We are confident that the team at Carlsberg are well placed to unlock San Miguel's potential within the UK on-trade over the coming years, maintaining the brand's momentum".

Carlsberg UK has set aside a "significant" budget to support San Miguel, including a heavyweight marketing campaign for over the coming months.

Carlsberg's head of on-trade customer marketing, Dave Scott, added: "San Miguel has real scale in the on-trade with a recent industry report stating that San Miguel is a must-stock lager brand in the on-trade."

"A Carlsberg representative will be contacting all on-trade customers shortly to ensure the transition is a smooth one," said the company.