Drinks giant Heineken is said to be in the running to acquire one of the largest pub chains in the UK, Punch Taverns.
The Dutch brewer has made an offer of 174p per share to acquire the business, which encompasses around 3,300 pubs across the UK, the BBC has reported.
Another bid, of 185p per share, has been placed by Alan McIntosh, one of the co-founders of the pub chain, who runs the investment vehicle Emerald.
The BBC quoted the Scottish Licensed Trade Association as saying it had "grave concerns" over the potential deals.
"It represents bad news for brewers, whose route to market will almost certainly be controlled by Heineken," a spokesperson said. "It also signals bad news for drinkers who will be offered far less choice at the bar."
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
