C&C Group plc

C&C Group has agreed to acquire Asahi Group Holdings' Nectar Imports wholesale and distribution business in the UK for nominal consideration. The assets will be folded into C&C's Matthew Clark Bibendum wholesale operation, and the deal includes the lease of Nectar Imports' depot in Hindon in Wiltshire. Under the agreement, MCB will assume the supply arrangements for the Fuller, Smith & Turner on-trade estate, while Asahi will end its direct distribution services from its Griffin Brewery site in west London, which will transfer to MCB; Asahi retains full ownership and operational control of the Griffin Brewery, including production of London Pride. C&C chief executive Roger White said the deal would bring a significant number of new customers to MCB along with immediate scale and efficiency, and Asahi UK managing director Tim Clay called MCB the right long-term home for Nectar Imports and Asahi UK's existing direct distribution customers. The agreement was announced alongside C&C's trading for the six months to 31 August, in which net revenue declined 3% year on year, with branded revenue up 2% and distribution revenue down 4%, and the company expects first half underlying operating profit of between €43m and €44m.