THE owner of Glenfiddich is set to add The Famous Grouse and Naked Malt whisky to its portfolio after the UK Competition and Markets Authority cleared the sale.
William Grant & Sons will acquire the two whisky brands from the Edrington Group after an investigation was launched last year to decide whether the merger would result in unfair market dominance or hurt competition in a significant way.
According to recent date, The Famous Grouse was the largest Scotch whisky brand in UK supermarkets, with sales of £173.7 million (US$216.1m) recorded in the 52 weeks to February 2024.
The full decision details will be published shortly.
Søren Hagh, chief executive officer at William Grant & Sons, said: “This is an important moment for William Grant & Sons. The acquisition of The Famous Grouse, when completed, will further demonstrate our significant commitment to building category momentum in Scotch whisky in the UK and in our markets globally.”
Edrington is now expected to exit blended scotch entirely in order to focus on its premium single malts, The Macallan, The Glenrothes and Highland Park.
Speaking when the deal was announced last year, Edrington CEO Scott McCroskie said: "We consider this the right moment for Edrington to exit the blended Scotch category and focus our core portfolio of ultra-premium spirit brands.
"The Famous Grouse is a well-loved brand that has consistently performed in its category during the time it has been part of Edrington, and Naked Malt has grown its reputation.
"I am confident that these brands are well-positioned to continue to succeed as part of the William & Sons portfolio."
