The parent company of Magners and Orchid Pig, C&C Group, has announced the acquisition of Asahi’s UK wholesale business for an undisclosed amount.

After the transaction is completed, the businesses will be fully integrated into the group’s Matthew Clark Bibendum operations.

The company will acquire Asahi UK’s intellectual property, a leased depot and all customer and supplier relationships.

Roger White, CEO of C&C Group, said: “This move represents an attractive opportunity to provide a significant number of new customers with MCB market-leading service and range proposition whilst simultaneously delivering immediate scale and efficiency into the group’s operations, in line with our strategy.

“We expect the majority of the customer and supplier transitions to be completed in the coming weeks, and for the acquisition to make a small positive contribution to the overall financial performance of MCB in FY27.”

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C&C Group expects to complete the transaction by early October after a programme of customer transfer.

The business also provided a trading update for the six months to 31 August 2026, with net revenues decreasing by 3 per cent compared to last year.

There was a slight improvement of 2 per cent growth in branded revenues, which was offset by a decline of 4 per cent in distribution revenues.

According to the business, the premium portfolio has grown, and the brand experienced a strong performance from the Innis & Gunn brand.

The branded revenue was supported by an increase in the company’s core Tennent’s and Bulmers brands as well as marketing campaigns around the World Cup period.

The company’s underlying operating profit for the first half is forecasted to be in the range of £36.9m and £37.8m, in line with financial expectations.