Feral Brewing Co. looks set to remain within the Coca Cola Europacific Partners Group portfolio despite the multinational suggesting it would offload the business.

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Coca Cola Europacific Partners said that it would still continue its planned exit of beer and cider products in Australia, however it would retain ownership of the standalone Feral craft brewery.

Earlier this year Coca Cola announced that it will be withdrawing from the Australian beer market in a move that would have seen Western Australia’s Feral sold.

Back then, CCEP said that following a strategic review of its beer and cider portfolio, the company would be withdrawing from its production, sale and distribution agreements in Australia. This led to them offloading their interest in the Australian Beer Co. to joint venture partner Casella Family Wines.

In a message to staff seen by Brews News, Coca Cola has said that it has been in a process to exit beer and cider in Australia, but following “an extensive review” it has made the decision to retain Feral within the CCEP portfolio.

“In short, we can’t overlook the growth and brand loyalty the Feral team has achieved over the last four years and we believe three is still a lot of value in a brand that we can unlock,” said general manager of Coca Cola’s Australia, Pacific and Indonesia business unit, Peter West, in the correspondence.

Feral general manager Robert Brajkovich will report to sales director Tobias Hoogewerff to focus on a three-year plan for the business.

“I’m excited to see how we can work together to support the brand as it continues to bring innovation to the market,” said Peter West.

“While the decision to retain Feral has not changed our position to move away from beer and Magners cider, I personally love this brand and am delighted that we’ll all be able to continue enjoying Feral beers as part of our staff sampling.”