Independent Edinburgh-based brewer Innis & Gunn has been acquired by C&C Group in a £4.5m pre-pack administration, bringing the Scottish craft brand fully into the Tennent’s owner’s portfolio. The London-listed group has purchased the Innis & Gunn brand and associated global intellectual property from administrators, after the brewer was forced into administration amid mounting cost and liquidity pressures.
C&C, which already brews much of Innis & Gunn’s volume at its Wellpark brewery in Glasgow and has been a minority shareholder and distribution partner for several years, said the acquisition was “an attractive opportunity for the group to further broaden its branded portfolio with a premium, well-established brand”. The group added that integration of Innis & Gunn into its existing production, commercial and supply chain infrastructure was expected to present “a very low execution risk”, enabling a rapid transition with minimal additional overhead or capital investment.
Jobs lost as brewery and taprooms to close
The rescue of the brand comes at a heavy cost for staff, with the Perth brewery and Innis & Gunn’s taprooms in Glasgow and Edinburgh to close following the deal. Reports indicate that more than 100 roles will be lost as a result of the restructuring, with administrators confirming redundancies across the hospitality sites and brewing operations.
Founder Dougal Gunn Sharp described the process as “bruising” and expressed his regret for employees and investors who backed the business. “Today is a very difficult day, first and foremost for the brilliant people who have worked so hard to build Innis & Gunn over the past 23 years,” he said, adding: “I’m deeply sorry to everyone affected – particularly my colleagues who have lost their jobs and the shareholders who believed in what we were building. It’s been a bruising process for everyone.”
Despite the collapse of the independent company, Sharp insisted he remained proud of what the brand has achieved and struck a hopeful note about its prospects under the new owner. “While this outcome is not what any of us hoped for, I’m glad the brand has found a home with C&C Group. We’ve worked closely with the team for many years and they have the scale, distribution and experience to take Innis & Gunn forward,” he said.
C&C – whose portfolio includes Tennent’s, Magners and Bulmers – said the move “reinforces our belief in the value of strong brands and the importance of our integrated manufacturing supply, marketing and sales business model.” Chief executive Roger White commented: “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.”
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Financial and market context
The deal follows a difficult trading period for Innis & Gunn, which has faced falling sales and rising costs in a challenging UK beer market. The brewer recorded pre-tax losses in recent years and saw turnover decline, leaving the business exposed to inflationary pressures, weaker consumer spending and tightening liquidity that ultimately led to the appointment of administrators.
For C&C, the £4.5m consideration will be funded from existing facilities and is expected to make a small positive contribution to group financial performance in the 2027 financial year. The company said its immediate priority was continuity of supply and service for customers, while longer-term plans centre on “leveraging existing capabilities to unlock brand value with minimal requirement for incremental overhead or capital investment.”
