C&C Group has acquired Scottish craft brewer Innis & Gunn in a rescue transaction valued at GBP 4.5 million (USD 5.6 million), completed through a pre-pack sale immediately after administrators were appointed on March 6, 2026. The arrangement allowed the Irish drinks group to acquire the brand and related assets on the same day the company entered administration.
The acquisition brings the brand fully into C&C’s portfolio alongside Tennent’s, Bulmers, Magners, and Caledonia Best. The group has maintained a long-standing relationship with Innis & Gunn, having brewed most of its beers at the Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow since 2010, distributed the products since 2021, and previously held an 8% minority stake.
CEO Roger White described the takeover as a highly synergistic opportunity, noting that C&C already produces most of the brand’s volume. Because brewing, logistics, and route-to-market infrastructure are already in place, the company expects the integration to proceed quickly with minimal operational disruption.
Founded in 2003 by Dougal Gunn Sharp, Innis & Gunn became known for its barrel-aged beers, particularly its flagship product The Original. The brewery operates its main production site in Perth and runs taprooms in Glasgow and Edinburgh, while exporting beer to around 35 countries.
Despite its international presence, the company recently faced declining consumer spending, rising operating costs, and liquidity pressures. As a result, administrators were appointed on March 6, 2026, triggering the immediate pre-pack sale to C&C. The restructuring will lead to redundancies, although the number of affected employees has not yet been disclosed. Reports indicate the business employed more than 100 people.
Financially, Innis & Gunn generated sales of GBP 19.1 million (USD 24.3 million) in the year ending March 31, 2025, with about three-quarters coming from the UK market. The company recorded a loss of GBP 747,000 (USD 951,000) after former CEO Patrick McMahon stepped down in June 2024 following accounting errors.
C&C expects the acquisition to make a small positive contribution to its financial performance from FY27. Analysts also see the deal as part of a broader consolidation trend in the UK craft beer sector. The transaction follows the recent sale of BrewDog to Tilray Brands for GBP 33 million (USD 41.9 million), highlighting ongoing financial pressure on craft brewers from rising costs and shifting consumer demand (inside.beer, 03.03.2026).
C&C Group is an Irish beverage producer and distributor headquartered in Dublin. The company traces its origins to a soft drinks business founded in 1852 by Dr. Thomas Cantrell in Belfast, which later became Cantrell & Cochrane after a partnership with Henry Cochrane. Its cider heritage began in 1935 when William Magner established commercial cider production in Clonmel, County Tipperary. This facility continues to produce the Bulmers brand for the Republic of Ireland, which is marketed internationally under the name Magners. The modern C&C Group was created in 2004 when Diageo spun off its cider and soft drinks operations into a separate publicly listed company.
C&C expanded significantly into the beer sector in 2009 by acquiring Tennent Caledonian Breweries from AB InBev. The deal gave the group control of the iconic Tennent’s lager brand as well as the Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow and other Scottish beer brands including Caledonia Best. In 2018, the group further transformed its business model by acquiring the major UK wholesale and distribution businesses Matthew Clark and Bibendum following the collapse of Conviviality Plc. Today, C&C operates an extensive distribution network across the UK and Ireland, managing a broad portfolio that includes proprietary brands such as Tennent’s, Magners, and Caledonia Best, alongside a wide range of third-party wines, beers, and spirits.
