A fashionable London brewery whose former owner is facing tax evasion charges is to be bought by Carlsberg in a deal worth an estimated £4 million.
The sale of the London Fields Brewery in Hackney, which was founded in 2011 by Jules Whiteway-Wilkinson, was due to be confirmed later today after several months of negotiations.
It is understood that it will become part of the Danish brewer’s British portfolio in a joint venture with Brooklyn Brewery but continue to operate independently.
Details of the cost of the deal have not been publicised so far but it is understood that it will be around £4 million.
At least some of the money will go to Mr Whiteway-Wilkinson’s father Juan who bought the brewery off his son when Mr Whiteway-Wilkinson ran into financial difficulties following a raid by HM Revenue and Customs on the brewery.
Jules Whiteway-Wilkinson was later charged with cheating the taxpayer of nearly £730,000 in unpaid VAT, national insurance, PAYE and student loan contributions. He denies the allegations and will go on trial later this month.
