Tue 20th Feb 2018 - Fuller’s acquires Dark Star Fuller’s acquires Dark Star: London brewer and retailer Fuller’s has acquired West Sussex-based craft brewer Dark Star. The deal, which sees Fuller’s take a 100% stake in the business, will give Dark Star access to the funds it needs to invest in new markets and increase sales of beers such as Hophead, APA, Dark Star Original and Revelation as well as Dark Star’s range of seasonal brews. Brewing will continue at Dark Star’s Partridge Green site, managing director James Cuthbertson will remain at the helm and the brewer will continue to operate as a standalone business. The current Dark Star directors will continue to operate the four-strong pub business under a separate vehicle. Cuthbertson said: “Since our inception in 1994, we have continuously grown from those early days in The Evening Star Pub in Brighton to the current brewery in Partridge Green. The partnership with Fuller’s, another independent brewery with fantastic heritage and great beer at its very core, will allow us to take the brewery to the next level. The deal means we will continue to do what we do, but gives us huge opportunities to brew more one-off small batch beers hand-in-hand with exploring the export market and expanded bottle and can formats. We’ve always described Dark Star as more of a hobby that got out of control than a business, an ethos that will remain at the centre of what we do and what we’re about, after all, beer should be fun and accessible.” Simon Dodd, managing director of Fuller’s Beer Company, added: “Following on from the success we have had with our acquisition of Cornish Orchards, we have been looking at similar opportunities to invest in and work with young, exciting companies that have a similar ethos and commitment to quality as Fuller’s. Following discussions with James and the team at Dark Star, we could see that we could add real benefit to the Dark Star business and it provides a great new range of delicious cask beers that will enhance the Fuller’s portfolio. Both Fuller’s and Dark Star are brewers with quality and taste at their heart. I just can’t wait to see how Dark Star innovates further with the support of Fuller’s and access to our expertise in brewing, retailing and business elements such as finance, purchasing and IT systems.”