Brixton Brewery fully acquired by Heineken
Founded in 2013 by Jez and Libby Galaun, Mike Ross and Xochitl Benjamin, Brixton Brewery sold an initial 49% stake to Heineken in November 2017 to facilitate its move to a new 15,000sq ft site thereby increasing its brewing capacity from 12,000 pints a week to 60,000.
However, Brixton Brewery announced on 1 February that following a successful three years’ working with Heineken, the beer behemoth had fully acquired the remaining stake.
“This will mean a bright future for our community-based business,” a post on Brixton Brewery’s website explained. “The founders of Brixton Brewery will continue to lead the brewery’s day-to-day operations and strategic and creative direction.
“In other words, we will still be smashing out your favourite beers fresh from south London, brewed by the same bunch of eccentric beer visionaries and inspired by the flavours of Brixton.”
‘Next chapter’
The announcement on Brixton Brewery’s website added that it had built a strong relationship with Heineken over the past three years – benefitting from the team’s “expertise and market reach” – and that the pair shared a commitment to “quality and responsibility”.
“There’s no denying the fact that the next few years will be challenging for many reasons,” the brewer continued, “so we’re happy to have the opportunity to secure the future of Brixton Brewery for our team, our families, our community and fans of our beers, who’ve been hugely supportive of our success.
“The industry has changed massively since we started, and we want nothing more than to continue to be a positive part of it.
“We look forward to this next chapter,” it added. “Our beers will be increasingly available UK-wide, we will continue to strengthen our approach to community and sustainability and we will keep on investing in Brixton through our brewery, taproom and newly renovated experimental brewery.
“We are committed to creating and sustaining good jobs in Brixton and hiring a diverse range of people who love beer and Brixton as much as we do."
Heineken also owns a minority stake in north London’s Beavertown Brewery following a £40m deal in July 2018 involving the maker of Neck Oil and Gamma Ray.
