The biggest drinks acquisitions of 2019

Stonegate acquires Ei Group for £3 billion

In July, pub group Stonegate, which owns Be At One and Slug & Lettuce, announced its intention to acquire the Ei Group in a deal worth £3 billion.

Stonegate Pub Group wished to take ownership of Ei’s 4,000-strong pub estate, adding to its current portfolio of 765 sites, which includes bar chains Yates and Walkabout.

However, the deal hit a stumbling block in October when the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into the deal.

In a statement this month, CMA said that both parties must address the concerns raised during the investigation, which include increased prices for customers. It is expected this will involve the sale of several sites.