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. 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.
Mark Hunter, chief executive, Molson Coors (UK & Ireland) said: “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. We respect and want to preserve the unique culture of Sharp’s Brewery and the special appeal of their brands to beer drinkers.”
Sharp’s of Cornwall
Hunter concluded: “The team at Sharp’s have a passion for brewing beer of the highest quality with the finest natural ingredients available making this a great marriage of two businesses with similar values. 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 real choice to the UK’s most diverse beer portfolio.
Nick Baker, managing director Sharp’s Brewery commented: “We have worked exceptionally well with Molson Coors for many years and they have played an important part in the growth of Sharp’s Brewery. We recognised that they have the capabilities, comprehensive routes to market and the culture to build on and accelerate the progress the business is making which is why we are delighted to have done this deal.
“It was, and is, important to us to know how Molson Coors will manage Sharp’s and their plan to invest in developing the brewery at Rock and the Doom Bar brand is spot on. We are excited to watch Sharp’s Brewery achieve even more under their stewardship.”
Stuart Howe, head brewer at Sharp’s Brewery said: “We are delighted to be joining the Molson Coors team, all of whom are passionate about Sharp’s Brewery and committed to the Doom Bar brand. We are incredibly proud to be voted the best regional cask beer by our customers, with the support of Molson Coors we’re looking forward to being recognised as the best cask beer in the country.”
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.
Source: Molson Coors
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024