C&C Group acquires Innis & Gunn for £4.5 million

The drinks group, which was already a minority shareholder and brewing partner for Innis & Gunn, has rescued the brand out of administration in a deal it claims has “a very low execution risk”.

Beer maker, brand owner and distributor C&C Group has acquired the Innis & Gunn brand out of administration in a rescue deal worth £4.5million. Innis and Gunn will join C&C’s existing portfolio of brands including Tennent’s, Bulmers, Magners and Caledonia Best in the UK market. The group also distributes a number of wine brands including Gerard Betrand, Santa Rita and Bottega.

The buy-out follows C&C Group already carrying out “most of the brewing” for the Scottish craft beer brand at its Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow since 2010, having distributed its beers since 2021. The partnership saw C&C take an 8% stake in the Innis & Gunn business as a result of investment made into the brand.

“We have worked with Innis & Gunn for many years and whilst it’s under difficult circumstances, we are delighted to bring the brand fully into our portfolio,” said Roger White, CEO of C&G Group. “This is a compelling and highly synergistic opportunity to save a well-loved brand for which we currently brew most of the product. Our existing brewing and route-to-market platform allows us to integrate the brand effectively and quickly, supporting the ongoing supply of products to customers and consumers.”

“Very low risk”

White added that the integration of Innis & Gunn into C&C Group is expected “to present a very low execution risk, with the brand being fully absorbed into the group’s existing operational, commercial and supply chain infrastructure”. As a result, he anticipates “minimal disruption to the business”.

A press statement issued by C&C said that the company intends to develop the Innis & Gunn brand “utilising its established production capability, routes to market, and infrastructure”. As such, there should be “minimal requirement for incremental overhead or capital investment”.

According to White, the acquisition is expected “to make a small positive contribution to our overall financial performance in FY27.”

Innis & Gunn’s latest financial results for the year ended 31 March 2025 showed that it posted a loss of £747,000 following the stepping down of former CEO Patrick McMahon in June 2024 after a spate of “accounting mistakes and errors” were discovered. However, despite the concerning numbers, Innis & Gunn announced plans in April 2025 to increase production at its Perth brewery from 25,000 hectolitres to 37,500 hectolitres – or approximately 6.6 million pints – per year.

Job losses

According to the BBC, more than 100 Innis & Gunn jobs have been lost. Dougal Sharp, founder of Innis & Gunn, said: “I’m deeply sorry to everyone affected – particularly my colleagues who have lost their jobs and the shareholders who believed in what we were building. It’s been a bruising process for everyone.

“While this outcome is not what any of us hoped for, I’m glad the brand has found a home with C&C Group. We’ve worked closely with the team for many years and they have the scale, distribution and experience to take Innis & Gunn forward. Despite the news, I remain incredibly proud of the brand, the beer and the community that grew around it. I truly hope the next chapter allows Innis & Gunn to fulfil the potential we always believed it had.”

The accounts for Innis & Gunn’s parent company show that the single biggest shareholder was Dougal Sharp, who founded the firm in 2003 and held more than 35 million ordinary ‘A’ shares. However, Innis & Gunn also raised funds via multiple equity crowdfunding campaigns and it is as yet unclear whether any of those small investors will see a return following the sale.

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