Osborne Clarke advises Beavertown Brewery on Heineken minority investment

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised craft-brewers Beavertown on an undisclosed investment for a minority stake by Heineken UK.

The minority investment will allow Beavertown the necessary financial firepower to achieve its stated goal of "getting great beer on to every street corner", by building Beaverworld, a new state of the art 125,000 sq ft craft brewing facility. Beavertown will also benefit from the Heineken's depth of expertise and industry knowledge.

Beaverworld, a new brewery and visitor experience, will create a projected 150 new jobs over time and will have 10 times the capacity of the company's current site in Tottenham Hale. Plans for the site include an internal and external visitor centre and a five vessel fully automated brew house, with an annual capacity capable of producing 450,000 hl of packaged product. The expansion will also allow Beavertown to continue to expand its footprint outside of the UK.

Corporate partner Mark Spinner, who led the deal for Osborne Clarke, said: "Craft beer is here to stay. This deal signals not only the continuing growth of the craft beer market, but it means more consumers will have access to sample and explore high-quality UK craft beer globally".

Commenting on Osborne Clarke's support on the transaction, Logan Plant, Founder and Chief Executive of Beavertown, said: "The team at Osborne Clarke have been brilliant, really impressive throughout all negotiations. I would like to thank them for being in our corner. I truly believe this is a defining moment not only for Beavertown but for the beer industry at large."

Adam Gregory FD of Beavertown added: "Throughout the deal Osborne Clarke has been impressive. We've enjoyed working with them and have really benefited from the team's profile and expertise in the retail sector."

Corporate partner Mark Spinner was assisted by Senior Associate Sarah Crabtree and Associate Sara McDiamond from Osborne Clarke's City Corporate team. Additionally Partner Lara Burch provided commercial advice, Legal Director Rebecca Scott advised on finance, while Associates Helena Zaba and Rhiannon Jones advised on Tax and Incentives respectively.

This is the second significant retail deal the team has advised on in the past two weeks as it gathers momentum in the sector, having previously advised Lovehoney on its investment from Telemos Capital.

Osborne Clarke is considered a go-to firm for many companies in the retail sector, acting for house-hold name retailers and in-demand brands while also working with global businesses to fast-growth start-ups and market challengers. The Osborne Clarke leading international team advises at every stage of company development  and on everything from eCommerce, payments and brand, right through to employee and property issues, fulfilment, franchises and corporate governance and regulation across multiple jurisdictions.