Popular UK ale brand to be sold to Spanish beer giant

Business & FinanceFood
20 May 2026 • 1:23 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Popular UK ale brand to be sold to Spanish beer giant

  • Greene King has agreed to sell its popular Old Speckled Hen beer brand family to Damm UK, the owner of Estrella Damm.
  • This sale is part of Greene King's strategic shift to focus on its extensive pub estate and move away from producing beer for supermarket shelves.
  • The deal will result in the long-term closure of Greene King's Westgate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds, with production eventually moving to Damm's new brewery in Bedford.
  • Despite the change in ownership and production location, Old Speckled Hen beers will remain readily available in major UK supermarkets and other retailers.
  • Greene King will continue to brew cask ale and craft beer, including Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale, primarily for its pubs, supported by a new £40 million brewery opening in Bury St Edmunds by summer 2027.

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