HEINEKEN UK splits ownership of Blade beer delivery system

HEINEKEN UK has completed a transaction to split the ownership of its Blade business with online bee…

HEINEKEN UK has completed a transaction to split the ownership of its Blade business with online beer delivery company, Beerwulf.com.

Following the transaction, all direct-to-consumer activity and smaller B2B activity will be managed by Beerwulf, whilst HEINEKEN UK will maintain ownership of all B2B on-trade outreach.

The split will help put the Blade business in a better position to attract more customers and increase its market share across all sectors.

Blade is a cutting-edge beer system that allows users to serve a freshly poured pint of draught beer, without the need for a cellar and traditional equipment.

To facilitate the change of business and ensure customer service levels are maintained, the Blade UK shop will close in three stages over the course of 2021.

Moving forwards, HEINEKEN UK and Beerwulf will work closely together on assortment, pricing, data sharing and marketing.

Head of Blade at HEINEKEN UK, Otto Esser, said: “We are pleased to announce our partnership with Beerwulf. We are confident they are best placed to further promote the Blade business.

“With their extensive product range, knowledge of home draught and professional set-up, Beerwulf offers a lot of potential to further accelerate the success of Blade in the UK market.”

Beerwulf’s CCO Krijn Jansen adds; “We are delighted to be adding Blade’s direct-to-consumer activity to our business. Its innovative beer system is complementary to our current range of beer taps and we look forward to the exciting path ahead.

“There is a great momentum for home draught and our specialised teams are ready to service customers in the best possible way.”