Dutch brewing company Heineken has rejected a takeover bid from UK-based brewer SABMiller, saying that the proposal is non-actionable.

Heineken said the decision was taken after consulting its majority stakeholders who want the company to be independent.

"The Heineken family and Heineken N.V.’s management are confident that the company will continue to deliver growth and shareholder value," the company said.

According to Bloomberg, SABMiller had approached Heineken for an acquisition, in order to protect itself from a potential takeover by Belgium-based brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev.

During the first half of the year, Heineken generated net profit of €772m, up 19% organically.

The company also witnessed more than 3.1% beer volume growth, which was driven by markets in Africa, the Middle East, the Americas and western Europe and an improved performance trend in Q2 in Asia Pacific.