Poland’s United Beverages Group has acquired the JJ gin-and-vodka brand from UK-based Halewood Artisanal Spirits. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. In a joint statement, Halewood said the disposal forms part of its ongoing efforts to “refine” its brand portfolio. The JJ brand sells more than 600,000 nine-litre cases a year. Under the deal, Halewood will continue to be the “exclusive distributor” for JJ brands in the UK, while United Beverages will oversee exports to internationa ...

Core Insights - Halewood Artisanal Spirits has confirmed significant workforce reductions in response to sales pressures, with employee numbers dropping over 40% from 390 to 225 in the last financial year [1][2] Financial Performance - The company reported a net turnover decline of 11% to £77.4 million ($104.6 million), primarily due to the ending of third-party whisky contracts and decreased sales of Crabbies ginger beer [3] - Adjusted EBITDA improved to £6.6 million from a loss of £7.3 million the previous year, while operating loss before exceptional items decreased to £3.4 million from £17.9 million [4] - The overall loss for the year was £18.3 million, an improvement from a loss of £22.7 million in the prior year [4] Strategic Adjustments - Halewood is scaling back international expansion projects and increasing outsourcing of production to Europe to manage rising costs, particularly in National Insurance and minimum wage [2] - The company aims to focus on driving down operational overhead and improving production efficiency while maintaining artisanal spirits as its core business, particularly gin and whisky [5]