Cobra bolsters British Brewing capacity
Cobra Beer has signed a deal to brew under licence with Hartlepool-based Camerons and one other, as yet unnamed, UK brewery in the north-west as it seeks to accelerate its growth.
It has also agreed a deal with bottling specialists Quinn Glass.
Cobra will continue to brew under licence with Wells & Young's in Bedford, where it has been brewed since 1997, as well as at the two new breweries.
It will also continue to brew under licence in Belgium at Palm Breweries but the primary focus will shift away from Cobra's Original 5% Premium Beer to Cobra Zero, Cobra Light, King Cobra and Cobra Bite.
From 31 July, Cobra will no longer be brewed at Browar Belgia in Poland, which was acquired by SABMiller in last year.
"Together with Wells & Young's and Palm, we now have an exceptional set of brewing partners that can support us and our ambitious sales growth targets in the next few years," said Cobra business development director Chris Edgcumbe Rendle.
Billy McKee, commercial director of Camerons Brewery, added: "The unique branding and market position of Cobra means that the brand is destined for exceptional growth and we look forward to a long term partnership supporting these aspirations as a major contract brewer."
Quin Glass sales and marketing director Peter Fitzgerald said: "Cobra quickly identified the environmental benefits offered by Quinn, amongst them a reduction in emissions and road miles when the glass containers are manufactured, then filled and stored at the same site."
