Yesterday, Interbrew said it welcomed the announcement by the Department of Trade and Industry. It said it now plans to sell Carling Brewers as soon as reasonably possible. The Carling business includes the Carling, Caffrey's and Worthington beer brands.
The ruling allows Interbrew to retain Bass Brewers, which includes the businesses in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and, importantly, the rights to the Tennent's and Bass Ale brands in the UK and abroad.
A spokesman for Heineken said, "We've taken note and are still interested. We are prepared to pay a certain price for Carling, taking into account that the UK is a mature market that is declining."
Shares in Interbrew were up €1.34 (85p) to €28.32 (£17.92) on the Brussels Bourse as brokers upgraded their estimates for the company, which removed a cloud of uncertainty that has circled Interbrew since its £2.3bn takeover of Bass.
While the loss of the UK's leading beer brand will be a blow for Interbrew, it will have been sweetened by the Belgian firm's recent acquisition of Becks, the leading German beer brand. After the sale of Carling, Interbrew's UK business will comprise its premium lager Stella Artois, leading Scottish lager Tennents, Bass Ale and Boddingtons.
Heineken wants Carling to sit alongside its own beer brand, which it intends to pitch against Interbrew's premium beer Stella Artois.
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