New name for merged InBev

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the newly formed company from a deal struck between the two of the world’s largest brewers 10 days ago, could be renamed AB InBev.

At the start of last week, American brewer Anheuser-Busch agreed to be taken over by Stella Artois maker InBev, a deal worth £26bn and one that will create the largest beer maker in the world.

Although the takeover is subject to shareholder approval and is months away from being completed, one of the issues currently being decided upon by both firms is how to shorten the longwinded Anheuser-Busch InBev name.

Speaking to CityA.M yesterday at the launch of the Stella Artois “Love Your Local” initiative which is asking Londoners to vote for their favourite pub in the capital, Stuart MacFarlane, the chief executive of InBev in Britain and Ireland, said the shortened version “was one of the names being considered”.

MacFarlane said he wanted to continue building InBev around its two most well-known brands, lagers Stella Artois and Becks.

He defended Stella Artois as the company’s premium brand and insisted his company had no control over supermarkets, which often sell the lager with discounts and special offers.

“It is illegal (for InBev) to control the price at which we sell the beer to consumers, pubs or supermarkets,” he said. Stella Artois sells at a 30 per cent price premium in Britain to Danish beer Carlsberg and is 25 per cent more expensive than Carling.

Yesterday InBev launched a new 4 per cent alcohol by volume Stella, to be called Stella 4 per cent.