PretendPint

Which beers sold as foreign are brewed in Britain, and what to buy instead

Work in progress. We are still reading cans and settling where listings disagree. Seen a beer whose small print contradicts its label? Tell us.

Where is Estrella Damm brewed?

Genuine import Partly verified Last checked 6 September 2026

Estrella Damm is imported from Spain, but the UK version is weaker: 4.6% against 5.4% at home.

Listed by Asda, Morrisons and Ocado when last checked. The product pages are among the sources below.

UK strength by format
FormatUK strengthAt home
10 x 330ml can4.6%5.4%
4 x 330ml bottle4.6%5.4%
12 x 330ml bottle4.6%5.4%
4 x 440ml can4.6%5.4%
Brewed for the UK in
Imported from Spain
Imported
Sold as a beer from Barcelona and Mediterranean branding, 'since 1876' Catalan heritage, Spanish-language name
Brewed in (country)
Spain
Brand owner HQ: Spain
UK strength
4.6%
Strength at home (Spain)
5.4%
The UK version is 4.6%. In Spain and for export elsewhere Estrella Damm is 5.4%. That is a substantial UK strength cut on a beer sold as the same brand.
What the UK label says
“Brewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Rosselló 515, 08025 Barcelona, Spain. Importer: Damm 1876 Ltd, 5A Bear Lane, SE1 0UH, London.”
Source: groceries.morrisons.com
More about the brand: rights, style, when it was created, where it is brewed at home
UK rights held by
Damm UK (Damm 1876 Ltd / Damm Brewery UK Ltd) (owned)
Style
Mediterranean lager
Brand created
1876, Spain
Brewed at home in
El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

Partly verified

At least one of those three claims rests on a secondary source or an inference, a disagreement between sources is still open, or a split supply has a format that has not been read.

Two research passes disagreed, checked 6 September 2026

Damm's own corporate release says Estrella Damm has been brewed at its Bedford brewery since spring 2024, but every retail pack read since, at Ocado and now at Morrisons (10 x 330ml cans, 4 x 330ml and 12 x 330ml bottles), prints 'Brewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Barcelona' with Damm 1876 in London as importer. The supermarket packs are therefore recorded as imported from Spain; the Bedford brewing may be draught or a format not yet read, so no UK site is recorded and the question stays open. Re-read 2026-09-06: the Morrisons 10 x 330ml and 12 x 330ml packs still print 'Brewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Rosselló 515, 08025 Barcelona, Spain' with Damm 1876 Ltd, London, as importer, and the 4 x 440ml can at Morrisons and Asda shows no producer block at all. No pack names Bedford, so the row stays as imported and the disagreement stays open.

Owner, the UK strength of 4.6% against 5.4% in Spain, and the Bedford acquisition are verified.

The small print on the base of a current can or bottle, giving the producer name and address, would settle this.

In short

Estrella Damm is the real thing on origin: the beer in UK shops is brewed at El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona in Spain. It is, however, a weaker version: 4.6% here against 5.4% at home. The brand belongs to S.A. Damm, which also owns Damm and Rosa Blanca in the UK. The label says: "Brewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Rosselló 515, 08025 Barcelona, Spain. Importer: Damm 1876 Ltd, 5A Bear Lane, SE1 0UH, London."

It depends which one you pick up

The bottles, cans and draught version of this beer do not all come from the same place, or are not all the same strength. This is what the record says per format.

FormatSupplyLabel text
10 x 330ml canImportedBrewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Rosselló 515, 08025 Barcelona, Spain. Importer: Damm 1876, London.
4 x 330ml bottleImportedBrewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Barcelona, Spain. Importer: Damm 1876 Ltd, London.
12 x 330ml bottleImportedBrewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Barcelona, Spain. Importer: Damm 1876 Ltd, London.
draughtNot establishedNot captured
4 x 440ml canNot establishedNo producer block or country field on the Morrisons or Asda listings; marketing copy 'brewed in Barcelona'; distributor Damm 1876 Ltd, London.

Who has brewed it here

YearsBrewerSiteSource
2010 to 2022Charles Wells / Marston's / Carlsberg Marston's (packaging under contract for Damm)Eagle Brewery, Bedforden.ara.cat
2010 to 2017Charles Wells (UK packaging and distribution)Bedford (Eagle Brewery)morningadvertiser.co.uk
2017 to 2020Marston's plcBedford (Eagle Brewery)foodmanufacture.co.uk
2020 to 2022Carlsberg Marston's Brewing CompanyBedford (Eagle Brewery)morningadvertiser.co.uk
2022 to nowS.A. Damm (site bought from Carlsberg Marston's, announced November 2022, completed around end 2022 / January 2023)Eagle Brewery, Bedfordbeertoday.co.uk
2023 to nowS.A. Damm (Damm 1876 Ltd) in its own rightBedford (Eagle Brewery)foodmanufacture.co.uk
2024 to nowS.A. Damm (full brewing, not just packaging)Eagle Brewery, Bedforddammcorporate.com

What changed

Questions people ask

Where is Estrella Damm brewed?

The UK product is imported. It is brewed at El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona in Spain.

Is Estrella Damm brewed in the UK?

No. The UK product is brewed in Spain.

Is Estrella Damm really Spanish?

Yes, on origin: the UK product is brewed in Spain.

Who owns Estrella Damm?

Estrella Damm is owned by S.A. Damm, headquartered in Spain. In the UK the brand is handled by Damm UK.

What strength is Estrella Damm in the UK?

Estrella Damm is 4.6% ABV in the UK. In Spain it is 5.4%.

Is Estrella Damm weaker in the UK than in Spain?

Yes. The UK version is 4.6% against 5.4% in Spain, 0.8 percentage points weaker.

See also

Side by side with Madrí Excepcional and Estrella Galicia Especial.

Every beer sold as Spain · Every brand owned by S.A. Damm

Sources

  1. S.A. Damm (corporate) (dammcorporate.com), 9 October 2025: Estrella Damm brewed on site at the Eagle Brewery, Bedford since spring 2024; brewery acquired 2022; £70m investment; official opening 9 October 2025; capacity 1.8m hectolitres
  2. Beer Today (beertoday.co.uk), 10 November 2022: Damm buying the Eagle Brewery, Bedford from Carlsberg Marston's, expected to complete by end of 2022; Damm had packaged Estrella there since 2010
  3. Taylor Wessing (taylorwessing.com), 1 January 2023: Completion of the Bedford brewery acquisition
  4. The Morning Advertiser (morningadvertiser.co.uk), 9 October 2025: Brewery bought from Carlsberg Marston's in November 2022; £70m modernisation; opened October 2025; capacity 1.8m hl rising to 2m by 2027
  5. Ocado (ocado.com), 5 September 2026: UK ABV 4.6%, country of origin Spain, 'brewed in Barcelona', UK address Damm 1876 Ltd, London
  6. Ocado (ocado.com), 5 September 2026: Second Ocado listing, also 4.6% and country of origin Spain
  7. Ara (en.ara.cat), 9 October 2025: Damm barrels packaged at the Eagle Brewery since 2010; Bedford now producing cans and kegs
  8. second research pass (bbc.com): cited by second research pass
  9. second research pass (drinks-intel.com): cited by second research pass
  10. second research pass (thescottishsun.co.uk): cited by second research pass
  11. second research pass (petebrown.net): cited by second research pass
  12. Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Estrella Damm Cans 10 x 330ml, re-read 2026-09-06: 4.6; 'Brewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Rosselló 515, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.'; importer Damm 1876, 5A Bear Lane, SE1 0UH, London.
  13. Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Estrella Damm Spanish Beer 4 x 330ml: 4.6%; 'Brewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Rosselló 515, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.'; importer Damm 1876 Ltd, London.
  14. Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Estrella Damm Premium Lager Beer 12 x 330ml, re-read 2026-09-06: 4.6; 'Brewed by: C.C. Damm S.L., Rosselló 515, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.'; importer Damm 1876 Ltd., London; a second importer line names Coca-Cola Europacific Partners N.Z. Ltd., Auckland.
  15. Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Estrella Damm Can 4 x 440ml: 4.6; no producer block or country field shown; marketing copy 'the premium lager brewed in Barcelona'; distributor Damm 1876 Ltd., 5a Bear Lane, SE1 0UH, London.
  16. Asda (asda.com), 6 September 2026: Estrella Damm 440ml: 4.6; no country of origin or producer block shown; ingredients 'Water, Barley Malt (11%), Rice (4%), Hops'.

Spotted an error?Tell us what the pack says and we will check it. [email protected]