FDBusiness.com

Molson Coors (UK) has acquired Sharp’s Brewery including the Doom Bar brand for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 1994, Sharp’s Brewery is a modern brewer of cask conditioned beer based at Rock in Cornwall and has grown rapidly to become the largest brewer of cask beer in the South West of England. Doom Bar, already the number one selling cask brand in the South West and Wales and the fastest growing cask brand in Greater London, represents a tremendous opportunity for growth in volume and distribution.

“The Doom Bar brand is modern and progressive. It has a loyal following and excellent reputation amongst consumers and customers alike and has the potential to become a truly extraordinary brand. We have a wealth of experience with this type of venture and an excellent track record of building brands across all markets,” says Mark Hunter, chief executive of Molson Coors (UK). “This is a new chapter for Sharp’s Brewery and we are excited to play our part in taking Doom Bar to the next stage of its brand evolution.”

With over 8.6m cask beer drinkers in the UK and cask beer representing 15.2% of on-trade beer volume (its highest share of on-trade beer for over a decade), the addition of Doom Bar alongside the developing Worthington’s family of ales allows Molson Coors to add further choice to its beer portfolio.

Doom Bar is a strong addition to Molson Coors’ diverse portfolio and is the latest in a series of recent extensions including Cobra, Singha, Corona and Blue Moon. It follows the launch of the William Worthington’s Brewery in December 2010. Constructed in listed buildings at the National Brewery Centre, the William Worthington’s Brewery produces well-known Worthington’s brands such as Worthington’s White Shield, Worthington’s Red Shield as well as a range of Worthington’s Seasonal Ales and other limited edition brews.