Heineken says Star Pubs beat the pub market again as Cruzcampo keeps growing

Heineken's third-quarter update, published on 28 October, put its UK pub arm ahead of the market again, The Drinks Business and MCA report.

The numbers - Group organic net revenue up 4.6% and beer volume up 4.8% for the quarter; reported revenue €9.56bn. - Europe volume up 0.6%, helped by summer weather and the off-trade. - UK: another quarter of double-digit growth for Cruzcampo, with premium cider and stout also contributing. - Star Pubs, around 2,350 pubs, continued to outperform the wider British pub market. The update did not give a figure.

Context: Heineken has been named in reports as a possible buyer of part of Stonegate's Platinum estate. The update did not address that or announce any deal. New chief executive Rafa Oliveira said the business is not yet turning its foundations into consistent growth as often as it should.

People moves: Star Pubs has also reshaped its leadership, Beer Today reports. Matt Dyson becomes operations director north, Caren Geering adds the Just Add Talent managed operator estate to her central operations role, and Cathy Olver moves from head of retail to regional operations director, Scotland.

So what for groups: premium Spanish lager is still the growth line on the bar. Worth checking your range and pricing against it before the duty rise in February.