Asahi buys Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime from A-B Inbev

Anheuser-Busch InBev has announced that it has accepted the binding offer from Asahi Group Holdings to buy certain of SABMiller plc’s European premium brands and their related businesses, excluding certain US rights.

This will follow completion of the relevant employee information and consultation processes applicable to the sale of these brands and businesses, the company states.

It goes on to say: “The acquisition by Asahi of these premium brands and related businesses (comprised of the Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime brand families and related businesses in Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and internationally is conditional on the successful closing of the recommended acquisition of SABMiller by AB InBev as announced on November 11 2015, which itself contains certain regulatory pre-conditions and conditions, and the approval by the European Commission of Asahi as a purchaser of the business.”

The deal is estimated to be worth €2.55 billion (US$2.9bn). It clears another hurdle in AB InBev’s effort to win regulatory approval for the purchase of SABMiller.