Independent brewer Weetwood swallowed by Cheshire Cat
AN independent Cheshire brewery has changed hands in a deal that sees its founders raise a glass to a happy retirement.
Weetwood Ales, based near Kelsall, Cheshire, has been sold by Adrian Slater and Roger Langford to Cheshire Cat Management, which is registered to an address in Macclesfield.
Financial terms of the seven-figure deal were not disclosed. In the year to the end of March, Weetwood had net assets of £620,623, up 17% on the previous year. Its sales were just under £1.1m.
The vendors, who owned the business jointly, were advised by Sale-based corporate finance boutique, The Camlee Group.
Founded in 1993, Weetwood Ales is a CAMRA award winning brewery that produces a diverse selection of traditional, cask-conditioned real ales, including classic bitters, blonde, amber and reddish-brown ales. The range includes well-known ales such as Eastgate Ale, Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter.
Meanwhile, Weetwood Ales’ new owner becomes part of Cheshire Cat Management Limited, a family-owned investment group created following the sale of Riskdisk, a business credit reference agency to Experian in 2011.
Paul Thompson, project director at The Camlee Group, said: “We were delighted with the significant level of interest in Weetwood right from the start of the process.
“Although the early signs suggested that a larger brewery would acquire the business, Cheshire Cat Management’s determination to get this deal done was evident throughout the entire process.”
