Cellar support jobs under threat at AB InBev UK

By Hamish Champ

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Ab inbev uk Stella artois Leuven Inbev brands

AB InBev UK, the brewer which produces brands such as Beck's and Stella Artois, is understood to be close to outsourcing its brand dispense operation...

AB InBev UK, the brewer which produces brands such as Beck's and Stella Artois, is understood to be close to outsourcing its brand dispense operation to an external company.

Hot on the heels of its three-year deal with Tradeteam to supply its packaged beers across the UK, AB InBev UK is believed to be in the process of outsourcing its technical services operation to a group of un-named contractors who have combined to form a company called Three Nations Ltd.

Around 200 staff work in AB InBev UK's brands dispense department, which includes dozens of cellar support staff and other operational roles. It is not clear how many of these employees would be affected by any outsourcing move.

A spokesman for the brewer said: "This interpretation is pure speculation because consultation is ongoing and we cannot pre-empt the result of this. AB InBev UK employees will be the first to know the outcome of this consultation process."

It is believed the plans to outsource its brands dispense department have been the subject of internal negotiations for some months.

One disgruntled AB InBev UK employee said: "What effect will this have on the industry when others are investing in their cellar services and keeping the work in-house? The brands dispense people feel they have been sold down the river."

At the start of 2010 AB InBev UK admitted that a strategic review of the business would result in a number of job losses, but at the time a spokeswoman declined to reveal how many staff would be affected.

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