As Estrella Damm, ‘the beer of Barcelona’, celebrates its 150th anniversary, UK MD Luke White speaks to Jo Gilbert about the Spanish beer craze, why Damm’s UK production sets it apart from rivals like Madrí and its plans to make the region a global innovation hub
Few beer brands reach 150 years of age with both their identity and relevance intact. Luke White, however, Damm’s UK MD who spent 10 years at AB Inbev before joining the Spanish beverage company in 2024, makes it sound almost easy.
After all, why wouldn’t Damm still be flourishing? Founded in 1876 by August Kuentzmann Damm, the business leveraged its Mediterranean identity to grow from a single brewery into a multinational drinks group spanning more than 25 beer brands alongside soft drinks and other beverages. Today, it is owned by the Carceller family – and could now be the UK’s largest independently owned brewer thanks to the acquisition of Brewdog by US-based Tilray Brands.
“Estrella has been in the UK for 25 years and its connection with consumers as a premium Spanish lager is second to none,” White says with the kind of matter-of-fact optimism that inspires confidence. “We’re a company with a huge amount of heritage, but also one that’s innovative, modern and forward-thinking. Being the beer of Barcelona is in our DNA – that authenticity is what really sets us apart.”
It’s convincing stuff, particularly as the company continues to invest in the UK – most recently to the tune of £80m via its Eagle Brewery in Bedford. Purchased by Damm in 2022, the formerly struggling site has since been fully modernised and expanded, with plans to more than double annual production from 600,00hl currently to 2 million hl over the next five years.
“It’s always been a home away from home,” says White, referencing the brewery’s historic link to Charles Wells, one of Estrella Damm’s original UK distributors. “But the UK is such a key market for us – it accounts for more than half the company’s branded volume outside Spain – so we wanted to control our destiny. To now have our name above the door feels like a full-circle moment.”
The timing of Damm’s expansion comes amid an influx of Spanish style lagers to the UK, from Molson Coors’ Madrí to Heineken’s Cruzcampo. Following the others’ lead, Damm commenced production of its flagship brand at the Eagle Brewery site in 2024, expanding from Barcelona to Bedford for the first time.
However, the company is keen to distance itself from comparisons with other UK-produced Spanish beers such as Madrí Excepcional, which was developed specifically for the UK market, and San Miguel, which has long operated a local production model.
White says: “For Estrella Damm we follow exactly the same recipe – it’s like-for-like, with no change to the process. A huge amount of work went into making sure every brew reflected how the beer is made in Barcelona, with around 18 months of testing. Ultimately, consumers are buying into brands with a real, authentic story behind them.”
More than beer
The business is not only looking to produce Estrella Damm in the UK. As in Spain, the goal is to become a total beverage proposition via the new capabilities at the Bedford site, which include soft drinks production and contract manufacturing. Central to this is Damm’s newly launched accelerator hub, designed to support emerging drinks brands while channelling innovation back into the business.
“Our technical expertise gives those brands the ability to scale, while also feeding back knowledge and innovation,” White explains. “We’ve transformed the brewery from a sub-optimal site into a thriving part of Bedfordshire. I keep telling my team it’s a once-in-a-lifetime journey. It’s not often you get the chance to bring a brewery back to life.”
Low & no plays a central role here and provides one of the clearer examples of how boundaries are shifting. Traditionally managed within beer, by beer buyers, alcohol-free variants are increasingly being treated more like soft drinks by retailers, with the category becoming a testing ground for new ideas and fledgling brands with crossover appeal.
White links this to an increasingly experimental edge that’s emerging within beer: “There’s been a lot of innovation in low & no – particularly with fruit – and a lot can be learned from the category because it’s evolved so quickly. We’re also seeing brands add salt, electrolytes or magnesium… it’s going to be really interesting to see how it evolves.”
April’s UK launch of gluten-free alcohol-free beer Daura 0.0% in Tesco marks the latest step for Damm as it expands its moderation friendly portfolio. Elsewhere, the business is also experimenting with new products and limited editions to mark its anniversary year, including an upcoming 150th celebration beer which is being made in Bedford.
Long term, the goal is not necessarily to mimic the model in Spain, which has vertical integration with the country’s retailers, coffee shops and restaurants, and where the business also sells products such as soft drinks, RTDs and iced tea. Instead, the UK strategy hinges on its ability to handle shorter runs and more experimental products for emerging drinks brands – not just large-scale co-packing.
“In Spain, we’re a total beverage company – everything from water to RTDs and chocolate milk. It’s a very diverse portfolio, so how that expands globally is a key focus for us. The UK is strategically very important. We’re excited for what the future holds,” White concludes.
