𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sales of beer brands Cruzcampo and Murphy’s Stout have shot up in the UK, brewer Heineken has revealed, as it posted higher profits after cutting around 3,000 jobs globally this year.

The global brewing giant said sales growth in the UK was a strong point in the first half of 2026.

The volume of sales of Spanish lager brand Cruzcampo leaped by more than 30% year-on-year, helped by the launch of the “Sevilla Orange” flavour which it said was attracting new customers.

Murphy’s, an Irish stout, doubled in volume from increased sales in venues like pubs and bars and the rollout of cans in shops.

Heineken also highlighted a rebound in sales of Foster’s, helped by a partnership with the Professional Darts Corporation, as well as double-digit growth of premium cider brand Inch’s.

Global revenues for the business totalled 17.56 billion euros (£15.05 billion) for the first half, 3.8% higher than the same period in 2025.

This was helped by its low and no-alcohol brands growing in every region, while the company said it was stepping up investment in its five top global brands – Heineken, Amstel, Birra Moretti, Tiger, and Desperados.

Heineken’s organic operating profit rose by 6.7% year-on-year to 2.17 billion euros (£1.86 billion).

It came as the business said it cut about 3,000 roles in the first half of the year which “materially advanced” its planned restructuring and improved productivity.

Heineken had said in February it was planning to slash between 5,000 and 6,000 roles over a two-year period, representing up to 7% of its global workforce.

It is planning to reduce the size of its head office by about a third.

The company said it was on track to make cost savings at the “top end” of its 400 million euro (£343 million) to 500 million euro (£429 million) range.

At the same time, it has been ramping up the use of artificial intelligence (AI) through a platform that produces consumer insights for commercial teams and automates some activities.

Harold van den Broek, Heineken’s finance chief, said: “We took further significant steps to boost productivity and build future fit capabilities, ensuring we drive further growth efficiently.

“We are confident in our strategy and progress, yet remain prudent given ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.”