Damm buys Old Speckled Hen ales from Greene King

Damm UK has acquired the Old Speckled Hen brand family from British brewer and pub group Greene King.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will see Old Speckled Hen, Old Golden Hen, Old Crafty Hen and Old Master Hen added to the Barcelona-headquartered group’s portfolio.

Damm UK stated that during the transition period, Old Speckled Hen will continue to be brewed at Greene King’s Westgate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, but did not confirm its long-term future.

However, it added that the recipe and packaging will remain unchanged.

Old Speckled Hen is both Damm’s first brand acquisition in 25 years and its first outside the Iberian Peninsula.

Luke White, managing director of Damm UK, said: "We have great respect for the history Greene King has built around Old Speckled Hen over the last 25 years and look forward to working closely together throughout the transition period to ensure continued success for the brand, its customers and consumers."

Today, the UK represents more than half of Damm’s branded volume outside Spain, with the company aiming to become the largest independent beer company in the UK.

Last October, the company opened its first brewery outside the Iberian Peninsula – the Damm Eagle Brewery in Bedford, England, after acquiring the historic site from Carlsberg Marstons Brewing Company in 2022.

Earlier this year, Greene King announced plans to sell 150 pubs and convert a further 150 into tenanted or franchised venues.