Bass packaging roster changes after review

BASS is believed to have dropped Lewis Moberly and Design House, and taken Tutssels on to its packaging roster at its latest review. The changes come at a time when design work looks set to increase, with Bass poised to regain pole position as the UK’s largest brewer.

The brewer’s revised, three-strong packaging roster is now thought to include Design Bridge and Coley Porter Bell, as well as Tutssels.

A Bass spokeswoman declines to comment on any roster changes. But a source close to Bass claims that some 80 per cent of the brewer’s entire range of pack work goes to groups which are on the roster.

That work will increase if Bass succeeds in buying Allied Domecq’s Carlsberg-Tetley brewing business. Both companies were in the throes of negotiating Bass’s takeover agreement as Design Week went to press. If the deal is successful, Bass will again become the UK’s largest brewer.

Design House group account director Lavinia Culverhouse says the consultancy has yet to be informed of any changes. She adds the group is “very much still working with Bass. We’re doing lots of work on the retail side of things and have recently picked up a new retail brief from them”.

None of the five groups involved are thought to have been officially informed of the roster change. Meanwhile, other acquisition activity in the brewing and leisure sector could lead to cross-discipline design work. Allied Domecq is also thought to be examining the possibility of demerging its operations into two separate quoted companies.

And the sale of Pelican Group – owner of the Café Rouge and Dôme chains – to leisure and brewing giant Whitbread is expected to create design work off the back of Whitbread’s expansion plans for Café Rouge.

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