Anheuser-Busch InBev may sell some brands

InBev has remained tight-lipped about the future of its brands in the UK despite the chief of new company Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABInBev) talking up the need to sell "two or three" assets.

InBev completed the acquisition of Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch after approval of the $52bn deal from shareholders of both companies earlier this month, and Carlos Brito, chief executive of the newly-combined global brewer said: "In terms of our divestitures, we have a list of five assets that are prized assets. From what we see today, we only need to sell two or three.

"We already have some people, in spite of the credit crunch, that have consistently approached us, people who are interested in the assets that we could have on our disposal list."

ABInBev has more than 200 brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck's, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Skol, and Michelob. Another UK asset whose future could be in question is Budweiser's Stag Brewery in Mortlake, London.

However, an InBev spokeswoman would only say that it was "at this time, business as usual in the UK" but that she was expecting "Budweiser's footprint to be expanded".

The spokeswoman added that she expected decisions on the UK business to be made "in the next few months".

ABInBev has become the world's biggest brewing businesses, as well as a top five global consumer products company. InBev has already been ordered to sell off its Canadian LaBatts beer operation as a condition of the deal.

Brito added: "We're going to have Budweiser as our global flagship brand, alongside Stella Artois and Beck's. Then we have an amazing portfolio of what we call local jewels - brands that are very important in their local markets like Skol, Brahma, Quilmes, Bud Light, and Michelob."