Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has sold its Australian producer Feral Brewing Co. for an undisclosed amount to focus on its “core” non-alcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) products.
CCEP is transferring the business and its employees to a joint venture that consists of Western Australian brewery, Nail Brewing (another venture by Feral Brewing's founders) and an undisclosed “consortium” of investors.
CCEP has sold Feral Brewing’s production assets in Bassendean to the independent Western Australian brewery Beerfarm, which will continue to create Feral-branded products.
Feral Brewing Co. was founded in 2002 by Alistair Carragher and Brendan Varis. The pair went on to open Nail Brewing in Bassendean. In 2017, Coca-Cola Amatil acquired Feral Brewing (Coca-Cola Amatil merged with CCEP in 2021).
Feral Brewing's products include its flagship Feral White, Hop Hog and Smoked Porter. Its brewery consists of a tap room and an on-premise food venue in Swan Valley, Western Australia.
“As CCEP continues to align as a bottler of our brand partner, The Coca-Cola Co., the sale of Feral Brewing Co. will ensure Feral is ideally positioned for the next exciting phase of growth, while enabling us to focus on our core NARTD portfolio,” CCEP MD Orlando Rodriguez said.
“The purchasers possess the attributes to deliver the necessary scale to achieve long-term sustainable growth for the Feral business, and just as importantly, to continue to invest in the development and growth of the Feral team.”
The deal is expected to be completed in June. CCEP said it will work to “ensure” the “smooth” transition of Feral’s employees, suppliers and customers.
In March, CCEP ended its sales and distribution contract with AB Abro Bryggeri for the Swedish group’s Rekorderlig cider brand in Australia.
Last year, Suntory Holdings brought its 16-year manufacturing and distribution partnership with CCEP in Australia and New Zealand to a close.
Beam Suntory and Frucor Suntory established the distribution and sales subsidiary Suntory Oceania, which now handles its portfolio including Jim Beam whiskey, V Energy and Suntory Boss Coffee.
