Beverage News
Heineken Invests In Double Dutch
The Heineken family has acquired a minority stake in Double Dutch, the UK award-winning premium tonic and mixer brand, owned by Dutch twin sisters Raissa and Joyce de Haas. In addition, Michel de Carvalho, husband of Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, has joined the Supervisory Board of Double Dutch Drinks.
The investment, of just under 10%, provides new capital for Double Dutch to invest further in the brand. As a major shareholder of Heineken beer, Michel de Carvalho’s extensive experience of tapping into new markets and introducing new products to the company will be an invaluable asset to the growing tonic and mixer brand with big ambitions.
The Heineken family has stakes in multiple on-trade groups and Michel will use his global network to support Double Dutch’s growth plans worldwide.
Michel de Carvalho comments:
“This is our first family venture into tonics and Double Dutch is an exciting brand with two driven, ambitious young Dutch women entrepreneurs behind it. No longer a start-up brand, it has captured an 8% market share in the UK which is a testament to the founders’ hard work and tenacity.
“I am optimistic, despite the challenges that the current pandemic presents, that Double Dutch will continue to grow exponentially as it has done over the last three years. I see the growth in premium tonics continuing, with the demand for luxury soft drinks, healthier low sugar alternatives and unique mixers for exclusive variants of gin and vodka increasing, and Double Dutch fulfils all of those.”
Commenting on the investment, Raissa de Haas, co-founder of Double Dutch said:
“We are delighted to have the Heineken family on board and it’s an honour that they recognise the potential of our business. As well as being hugely exciting commercially, the relationship is a perfect cultural fit – both businesses are Dutch, family-owned and female-driven – we couldn’t be happier.”
Double Dutch Drinks was founded in 2015, and now sells over a million bottles a month in 26 countries. Outside of the UK on-trade, Double Dutch is stocked in Waitrose and online retailers, Ocado and Amazon. The company previously raised money from, among others, Lord Mervyn Davies, now Double Dutch’s Chairman and a Diageo board member.
Source: Double Dutch
