Woverhampton & Dudley Breweries has emerged victorious in its £285m battle for Marston, Thompson & Evershed.
It secured 73.45% of the shares by yesterday’s lunchtime deadline in what is expected to be the first of many takeovers in the pubs and regional brewing industry.
The combined group will have three breweries and nearly 2,000 pubs. However, Wolves has agreed to sell 170 Marston houses to Greene King for £80m. Marston’s Burton-on-Trent headquarters will be closed.
Financial Times 05/02/99 page 20
The Daily Telegraph 05/02/99 page 29
The Independent 05/02/99 page 17
The Guardian 05/02/99 page 25
The Times 05/02/99 page 29
