Marston's run out of Lord's Cricket Ground for Heineken Olympic sponsorship

Marston’s, which has the beer concession at Lord’s Cricket Ground to sell Pedigree Bitter and is the official sponsor of the England cricket team, will have its handpumps removed while the archery competition takes place during the Olympics. Even portraits of cricketer Matthew Hoggard, Marston’s ‘beer ambassador’, will be covered up during the event.

Visitors to the world-famous cricket ground, with its long tradition of ale drinking, will be offered Dutch lager and anonymous keg bitter and cider. But cask Pedigree will be available in the Lord’s Tavern, the bar and restaurant complex alongside the main entrance to the ground. As part of the sponsorship deal Heineken has the rights to sell John Smith’s Smoothflow and Strongbow cider, but neither of the brands can be named. John Smith’s will be labelled ‘British Bitter’ and Strongbow will be called ‘Cider’.

Lord’s is just one of the venues that will be dominated by the lager brand, which has “sole pouring rights” at all Olympic events. The London 2012 Organising Committee won’t reveal the sums of money involved, but it’s understood that Heineken is a “tier three” sponsor, costing the Dutch firm £10m. At such key Olympic locations as Greenwich Park in London and Weymouth in Dorset, the Heineken portfolio will again be the sole lager, bitter and cider on sale.

One major British brewer of cask beer — who did not wish to be named — said it was disappointing that home-grown real ale would not be available at Olympic events, but the cost of sponsorship was prohibitive.
A spokesman for Heineken, which owns the former Scottish & Newcastle breweries and brands, said the arrangement with the Organising Committee meant that the only brand name that could be used was Heineken.

“But we wanted to offer something else from the portfolio, which is why John Smith’s — Britain’s biggest-selling keg beer by far — and Strongbow will be available,” he added. But there will be no PoS material allowed for the bitter or cider.

The Heineken spokesman pointed out that many venues are not suitable for cask beer as they are either temporary bars or lack the necessary cellar facilities.

Mike Benner, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale, said: “As a grand spectacle showcasing everything that is great about Great Britain, it is hugely disappointing that attendees inside Olympic venues won’t have access to a range of British real ale. Such a move represents a major missed opportunity to show off one of Britain’s historic industries.”