C&C Group has bought the Innis & Gunn beer and lager brand out of administration for £4.5m ($6m).
London-listed C&C Group, the maker of Tennent’s larger and Magners cider, had been a minority shareholder and brewing partner in Edinburgh-based Innis & Gunn and now owns the brand and global intellectual property outright.
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Just Drinks has approached Innis & Gunn’s administrators, FTI Consulting, for details on potential impacts to jobs following the deal.
“The acquisition represents an attractive opportunity for the group to further broaden its branded portfolio with a premium well-established brand,” Dublin-headquartered C&C Group said in a statement today (6 March).
“The integration of Innis & Gunn into the group is expected to present a very low execution risk, with the brand being fully absorbed into the group’s existing operational, commercial and supply chain infrastructure.
“As a result, the board anticipates a rapid operational transition and minimal disruption to the business.”
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By GlobalDataC&C Group took an 8% interest in Innis & Gunn in 2021 for an undisclosed sum.
Private-equity firm L Catterton also invested in the business in 2017, taking a 27.9% share for £15m. Innis & Gunn, set up in 2003, is still listed as a current investment on the investor’s website. Just Drinks has asked L Catterton to confirm whether it still holds a stake in the business.
C&C Group added it will seek to “unlock brand value with minimal requirement for incremental overhead or capital investment” in Innis & Gunn, which produced beers, including cask ales and IPAs, and lager under its own brand.
Roger White, the CEO of C&C Group, said: “We have worked with Innis & Gunn for many years and whilst it’s under difficult circumstances, we are delighted to bring the brand fully into our portfolio.
“This is a compelling and highly synergistic opportunity to save a well-loved brand for which we currently brew most of the product. Our existing brewing and route-to-market platform allows us to integrate the brand effectively and quickly, supporting the ongoing supply of products to customers and consumers.”
White added the brand acquisition is expected to “make a small positive contribution to our overall financial performance” in the 2027 fiscal year.
Just Drinks has also contacted Innis & Gunn’s founder for comment on the news.
The most recent results – for the six months to 31 August issued in October – show C&C Group generated sales of €825.7m ($956.1m), down 4% in its current 2026 financial year.
Adjusted EBITDA grew 2% to €58.1m, while adjusted profit before tax climbed 12% to €32.1m. Basic EPS increased 64% to 5.4 European cents.
C&G Group’s share price was up 1.8% at 111.20pence as of 3:31pm GMT in London today.
In 2025, sales rose 13% to €1.67bn. Adjusted EBITDA increased 18.3% to €112m and profit before tax was 17.1% higher at €55.9m. Basic EPS was 3.5 cents.
