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Heineken has announced its full acquisition of Brixton Brewery, three years after it took a minority stake in the south London-based craft brewer.

Upon closing the transaction, Brixton Brewery is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heineken UK. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Established in 2013, Brixton Brewery started its business with one employee and making most deliveries on foot in and around Brixton Market.

The UK craft beer manufacturer says its 2017 investment from Heineken enabled it to build a purpose-built brewery and create a tap room and experimental brewery at its original railway arch. Brixton Brewery’s team now includes 25 people.

“When we look back over the past seven years, we honestly can’t believe how far we’ve come – from home brewing to starting a small brewery, to building a highly recognisable community-based brand, with a large new brewery and tap room,” said Jez Galaun, founder of Brixton Brewery.

He added: “Over the past three years of working together, we’ve built a strong relationship with Heineken who share our commitment to quality and responsibility. We have benefitted from the Heineken team’s expertise and market reach, and we want to build on it.

"There’s no denying the fact that the next few years will be challenging for many reasons, so we’re happy to have the opportunity to secure the future of Brixton Brewery for our families, our team, our community and fans of our beers, who’ve been hugely supportive of our success so far.”   

Following the acquisition, the founders of Brixton Brewery will continue to lead the brewery’s day-to-day operations and strategic and creative direction.

However, by extending its partnership, Brixton Brewery says it will leverage Heineken’s expertise and routes-to-market and expand its availability across the UK.

Jochen Van Esch, craft development director at Heineken, said: “We are incredibly excited about the next chapter. Brixton Brewery will continue to operate as a separate entity. Our investment and support will mean the founders can stay in charge of day-to-day management of the company and its creative direction, and we can help develop retail opportunities, support with supply chain expertise and facilitate collaborations.”