SMC to bid for 2 Euro beer brands

MANILA, Philippines - Food and beer giant San Miguel Corp. is considering bids for well-known European beer brands Peroni and Grolsch, its president Ramon Ang said.

“Yes, we will join the bid,” Ang said in a text message yesterday.

The sale of the two brands is needed to ensure the takeover by Anheuser-Busch InBev  of SABMiller gets past regulators in Brussels, which have powers to block the deal on competition grounds.

Anheuser-Busch InBev announced in November last year it was acquiring its rival SABMiller  for about $108 billion.  Combined, AB InBev and SABMiller will account for a third of the world’s beer market.

AB InBev has a portfolio of 200 beer brands including global brands Budweiser, Beck’s and Stella Artois while SABMiller owns more than 200 brands.

Aside from San Miguel, other Asian brewers such as Thai Beverage PLC and Asahi Group Holdings are considering bidding for the Peroni and Grolsch brands.

Potential buyers including private equity firms are expected to firm up their offers for the two brands later this week when the bids are due.

According to documents from SABMiller, AB InBev has expressed intention to explore the sale of a number of SABMiller’s European premium brands “in line with its commitment to promptly and proactively address potential regulatory considerations.”

“Under SABMiller’s stewardship, Peroni and Grolsch have become world-renowned premium beer brands.. These beers are loved by consumers and we are very proud of them. We will continue to invest in growing these great beers and supporting our talented people who brew, sell and manage them,” SABMiller chief executive Alan Clark said.

Apart from Peroni, Grolsch, SABMiller’s two other global brands include Miller Genuine Draft and Pilsner Urquell.

Acquiring the European brands would give Asian beer companies such as San Miguel a bigger footprint outside their home markets.