UK: BBH to overtake Heineken on the British beer market

British brewer Scottish & Newcastle has pledged that its Russian business, BBH, will overtake Europe's biggest brewing company, Heineken, in the next five years, The Hamilton Spectator posted October 02.

Little known by drinkers outside the former Soviet Union, BBH is preparing to launch a major assault on the U.K. market.

BBH's Baltika beers are among the most popular in Russia, but just one, Baltika 3, is sold in Britain. It is available only as an imported brand.

BBH's chairman, John Nicolson, confirmed the group was looking to bolster its position in Britain.

"Driving a Russian brand, with all the imagery we can build round it, it should be very powerful," he said. "We're now looking at turning it from a seeding opportunity to a development opportunity. Russia is bigger on the world stage again. It's the right time to drive this brand."

Scottish & Newcastle is having to hold discussions with BBH about brewing Baltika in Britain because it does not own the business outright. BBH is a joint venture between Scottish & Newcastle and Carlsberg, the Danish brewer. BBH has been a massive success for both companies. Sales soared as Russians turned from vodka.

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