{{Short description|British arm of the Carlsberg Group}} {{Other uses|Marston (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use British English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox company | name = Carlsberg Britvic | logo = Carlsberg Britvic logo.png | type = Subsidiary | founded = {{Start date and age|2020|11|02|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.carlsbergmarstons.co.uk/about-us/our-history/ |website=Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company |access-date=7 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref> | predecessor = Carlsberg UK • Britvic plc • Brewery business of Marston's plc | location = {{nowrap|Wolverhampton, England}} | key_people = Paul Davies, CEO | num_employees = | industry = Brewery, Soft drink | subsidiaries = Britvic | brands = Carlsberg (UK)<br />Licensee:{{Unbulleted list|7Up|Mountain Dew|Pepsi}}Lipton | products = Marston's Pedigree, 1664, Robinsons, Tango, R. White's, J<sub>2</sub>O | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | parent = Carlsberg A/S | owner = Carlsberg Group | website = {{url|https://www.carlsbergbritvic.co.uk/}} | footnotes = }} '''Carlsberg Britvic''' is a British subsidiary of Carlsberg Group, created in January 2025 by the merger of Carlsberg's UK business (including the former Marston's plc breweries) and Britvic plc.
==History== In 2020, Marston's plc merged its brewing business with Carlsberg UK (the United Kingdom arm of Carlsberg Group), in a joint venture valued at £780m. Marston's took a 40% stake and received up to £273m in cash. The deal involved Marston's six breweries and distribution depots, but not its 1,400 pubs.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Marston's and Carlsberg UK announce £780m merger |work=BBC News |date=22 May 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52770262 |access-date=2020-05-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Davies |first1=Rob |title=Brewers Carlsberg UK and Marston's announce merger |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/22/beer-brewers-carlsberg-and-marstons-announce-uk-merger |website=The Guardian |access-date=23 May 2020 |date=22 May 2020}}</ref> The merger was approved by the Competition and Markets Authority on 9 October 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pugh |first1=James |title=Regulator approves Carlsberg’s £780m joint venture with Marston’s |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/business/2020/10/09/marstons-and-carlsberg-brewing-merger-to-be-completed-after-getting-cma-approval/ |website=Express & Star |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=en |date=9 October 2020}}</ref>
In 2024, Marston's sold their 40% share in CMBC to Carlsberg for £206m in order to focus on running the pub business.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/business/2024/07/09/future-of-brewing-of-bankss-in-wolverhampton-faces-review/|title=Beer giant fails to commit to future of Wolverhampton brewery after Marston's sale announced|first=John|last=Corser|date=9 July 2024|website=www.expressandstar.com}}</ref> The deal to acquire Marston's 40% stake in CMBC was completed on 21 July 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Corser |first1=John |title=Wolverhampton pubs group Marston's £206m deal completes - full details |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/business/2024/07/31/marstons-206m-deal-completes/ |website=Express & Star |access-date=3 December 2024 |language=en |date=31 July 2024}}</ref>
Carlsberg then bought the soft drinks company Britvic plc for £3.3bn, merging it into Carslberg Marstons, with the new group formally launched as '''Carlsberg Britvic''' in January 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Houlton |first1=Cara |title=Carlsberg agrees to buy Britvic in £3.3bn takeover deal |url=https://www.grocerygazette.co.uk/2024/07/08/carlsberg-buy-britvic/ |website=Grocery Gazette |access-date=2 December 2024 |date=8 July 2024}}</ref>
In February 2026, the company announced better than expected profits of £10.3 billion, a rise on the previous year by 17.7%, even though sales had fallen by 2% due to the loss of the San Miguel licence. It also announced that the savings that were envisaged with the merger with Britvic were ahead of schedule and had already generated £110 million in savings.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/carlsberg-profits-fizz-thanks-to-britvic-combination/714834.article|title=Carlsberg profits fizzy thanks to Britvic combination|date=4 February 2026|newspaper=The Grocer}}</ref>
==Operations== ===Beers=== thumb|The Marston's Brewery in Burton upon Trent, 2009 thumb|The Carlsberg Brewery in Northampton, 2013 The company originally owned and operated three breweries. This was reduced to two<ref>{{cite web |title=Our locations & breweries |url=https://www.carlsbergmarstons.co.uk/about-us/our-locations-breweries/ |website=Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company |access-date=7 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref> after the Banks's Brewery in Wolverhampton closed in September 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Drew |first=Mark |date=2025-09-05 |title=Star Comment: Why the demise of Banks's Brewery in Wolverhampton is a bitter blow to the Black Country and its people |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2025/09/05/star-comment-why-the-demise-of-bankss-brewery-in-wolverhampton-is-a-bitter-blow-to-the-black-country-and-its-people/ |access-date=2025-10-01 |website=www.expressandstar.com |language=en}}</ref>
* The Marston's Brewery in Burton upon Trent, established in 1834<ref>{{Cite book |last=Oliver |first=Garrett |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gYVLHMmplRcC&pg=PA573 |title=The Oxford Companion to Beer |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-19-536713-3 |page=573}}</ref> * The Carlsberg Brewery in Northampton established in 1974<ref name=boak>{{cite news|url=https://boakandbailey.com/2018/11/a-brutalist-brewery-arup-and-carlsberg-in-northampton-1974/|title=A Brutalist Brewery: Arup and Carlsberg in Northampton, 1974|publisher=Boak and Bailey|access-date=1 October 2025}}</ref>
Marston's Brewery was one of the last major brewers to use Burton Union Sets, a system whereby fermentation barrels and troughs were linked together by pipework.<ref name="Hornsey1999">{{Cite book |last=Hornsey |first=Ian Spencer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DvNhR0xfHtMC&pg=PA127 |title=Brewing |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-85404-568-6 |page=127}}</ref>
Half of all the company's beer is bottled.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marston's unveil new £7.4m bottling line |url=http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Marstons-unveil-new-74m-bottling-line-20140131153418.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222205841/http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Marstons-unveil-new-74m-bottling-line-20140131153418.htm |archive-date=22 February 2014 |access-date=30 March 2015 |website=Burton Mail |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Marston's Pedigree is brewed in Burton-upon-Trent: it is a 4.3% ABV bitter.<ref name="Oliver2011" /> Introduced in 1952, it is Marston's flagship brand, selling 150,000 hectolitres in 2010.<ref name="Oliver2011">{{Cite book |last=Oliver |first=Garrett |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gYVLHMmplRcC&pg=PA573 |title=The Oxford Companion to Beer |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-19-536713-3 |page=573}}</ref> It was the only beer to use the oak Burton Union System so that it was fermented in wood; the ingredients are mineral-enriched Burton Water, malted barley, and Fuggles and Goldings hops.<ref name="Oliver2011" /> The Burton Union sets were retired in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mason |first1=Jessica |title=CMBC faces criticism on halting brewing history at Burton-on-Trent |url=https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2024/01/cmbc-faces-criticism-on-halting-brewing-history-at-burton-on-trent/ |access-date=4 February 2025 |work=The Drinks Business |date=22 January 2024}}</ref>
Marston's had been brewing Thwaites' beers since early 2014 after Thwaites main brewery in Blackburn was shut down. Marston's acquired Thwaites' main brewing arm, including the Wainwright brand, in March 2015 for £25.1 million.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marston's in £25m swoop for Thwaites' brewing business |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/business/business-picks/2015/03/31/marstons-in-25m-swoop-for-thwaites-brewing-business/ |website=Express & Star |access-date=22 April 2017 |language=en |date=31 March 2015}}</ref>
Carlsberg has been producing Special Brew in a modern production plant at Northampton since 1974.<ref name=boak/>
Other beers distributed by the company include the 1664 brand, which was acquired from Heineken N.V. in June 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Halliday |first1=Edward |title=Northampton-based Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company and HEINEKEN UK announce UK deal for Kronenbourg 1664 |url=https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/business/northampton-based-carlsberg-marstons-brewing-company-and-heineken-uk-announce-uk-deal-for-kronenbourg-1664-4102398 |access-date=8 November 2024 |work=Northampton Chronicle & Echo |date=13 April 2023}}</ref>
===Soft drinks=== The Britvic subsidiary owns 39 brands in the UK include Robinsons, Tango, R. White's, and J<sub>2</sub>O – as well as being the licensed bottler for PepsiCo products within the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britvic.com/our-brands/|title=Our brands|publisher=Britvic|access-date=1 February 2025}}</ref>
==Sponsorship== [[File:The Marston's Arena, Northwich Victoria FC - geograph.org.uk - 996146.jpg|thumb|The Marston's Arena at Northwich Victoria F.C.]] From 2007 to 2017, Marston's sponsored the England and Wales Cricket Board and Marston's Pedigree was the official beer of the England Cricket team. They were exclusive beer advertisers and suppliers at home test matches.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{Cite web |title=Marston's renews as official beer of England cricket team |url=http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/marstons_renews_as_official_beer_of_england_cricket_team/ |access-date=30 March 2015 |website=sportspromedia.com|date=25 October 2013 }}</ref>
==See also== * Brewers of Burton * British regional breweries using wooden casks
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.carlsbergmarstons.co.uk/ Carlsberg Marstons Brewing Company]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Marston's Brewery}} Category:Beer brands Category:Breweries in England Category:British companies established in 1834 Category:Companies based in Wolverhampton Category:Food and drink companies established in 1834 Category:Food and drink companies established in 1890