What the Sunday papers say - September 09
Independent on Sunday
Speculation is mounting that the Government will this week unveil its ruling on which of the Bass assets it will force Interbrew to sell. Rival companies Heineken and South African Breweries are waiting in the wings with possible offers for the parts of Bass Interbrew will be expected to sell. Heineken is rumoured to be preparing a £1.2bn bid for Carling, should trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt decide to order Interbrew to get rid of the brand.
Pressure on British tourism caused by the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic is continuing with a significant amount of Americans staying away. Tourism in cities, such as London is being affected as well as tourism in rural areas.
Boutinot, which makes wines including Old Git, Old Tart and Mamma's Italian Red, is profiled. It is preparing to make its debut on the Alternative Investment Market in a bid to raise £6m.
Weekend Financial Times
JD Wetherspoon's campaign to keep pounds and not euros started with the pub operator reporting a 23 per cent rise in full-year, pre-tax profits. In releasing the results chairman Tim Martin said it had been another year of good progress for the group, and reiterated his stand against the euro.
Sunday Telegraph
Failed online wine company wine.com is to auction about one million bottles valued at £7m. Wine.com was founded in 1994, but failed earlier this year in its £200m bid to dominate the online drinks market.
Diageo said profits before tax rose 19 per cent to £1.72bn after £258m of exceptional charges and goodwill amortisation, boosted by a strong performance from its core drinks brands.
Heineken is expected to offer £1.2bn for Carling when it is put up for sale by Interbrew this week.
Scotland on Sunday
The Scottish Executive's promise to cut red tape for small businesses has come under criticism. Scotland on Sunday revealed the Executive's flagship, Improving Regulation in Scotland (IRIS) unit is staffed by just one person. Businesses are now questioning the Executive's commitment to cutting red tape.
Investors have taken the holding company for Dutch brewing giant Heineken to court over the poor performance of its shares. Shareholders of Heineken Holding, which controls Europe's biggest brewer, want an investigation into the company's efforts to improve its share price which is substantially lower than Heineken itself.
JD Wetherspoon, which has 27 pubs in Scotland, has reported another year of increased profits and turnover.
Sunday Express
No industry related news
Mail on Sunday
No industry related news
The Sunday Times
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