Scottish & Newcastle was one of the United Kingdom's most prominent brewing companies, with roots tracing back to the merger of Scottish Breweries and Newcastle Breweries Ltd in 1960, forming Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Ltd. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, the company grew steadily through a series of strategic acquisitions and partnerships to become the largest brewer in the UK. In March 2000, Scottish & Newcastle formed a major partnership with Groupe Danone's beer interests, including Brasseries Kronenbourg of Strasbourg, France, further expanding its European footprint. The company was active in 15 countries, including the United Kingdom and France. Scottish & Newcastle built a broad portfolio of well-known beer brands, acquiring two of the UK's leading names — Foster's and John Smith's — which collectively strengthened its dominance in the British beer market. The company operated across multiple brewing styles and distributed both domestic and international lager and ale brands. Its scale and reach made it a defining force in the European brewing landscape during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In 2008, Scottish & Newcastle was acquired in a joint takeover by Heineken and the Danish brewer Carlsberg for approximately £7.7–7.8 billion. Following the acquisition, Heineken took on the UK operations, and the Scottish & Newcastle name continued to be used for Heineken's UK trading arm until 2009, when it was officially renamed Heineken UK.