Is the Brewdog beer deal with West Ham a wise decision?
As Brewdog partners with West Ham. Roger Protz, award-winning beer writer, author and former editor of The Good Beer Guide, ponders the move.
Scottish brewer BrewDog stunned both the beer and sports worlds this week with a deal to supply its brands to Premier League football club West Ham United and its landlord, the London Stadium. The brewer has replaced Heineken, which has supplied beer to West Ham since the club moved from Upton Park to Stratford in 2015.
This follows a similar deal that BrewDog struck with Lord’s last November when it replaced Carlsberg Marston’s as the beer supplier to the home of cricket. The ground has a capacity of 31,000 and there are 60 days of cricket every year during the season. The supply contract is for four years.
The deal at the London Stadium is described as “multi year”. West Ham United is a tenant at the stadium where other events are staged during the close season, including music concerts. One gig this summer will be by Iron Maiden. The rock group has its own beer, Trooper, brewed by Robinson’s of Stockport, and it’s not known if both brewers’ beers will be on sale that day.
Premier League football matches attract crowds of 63,000 and BrewDog will also support grassroots football in East London and Essex. The former West Ham player Neil “Razor” Ruddock, with the brewer’s backing, will supply match kits to amateur teams playing at Hackney Marshes and other venues.
Lauren Carroll, chief operating officer at BrewDog, which is based at Ellon near Aberdeen, said: “We are all about bringing people together through great beer and shared passion. This collaboration is about supporting the game at every level.”
West Ham United has added: “BrewDog is the perfect partner as we work on initiatives to enhance the match day experience.” The deal will be a welcome boost for the club that has had a poor season, finishing 14th in the Premier League.
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The beers that will be available at the London Stadium include Punk IPA, Wingman, Hazy Jane, Cold Beer, Lost Lager and Blackheart Stout. Low and No alcohol brands will also be on sale.
The range dispels the myth that football fans drink only lager. The Tap East brewpub at Stratford International station is packed with fans on match days where they can drink Mild, IPA, Stout, Blonde and Wheat Beer.
An industry insider says the deal underscores Heineken’s move away from sponsoring clubs and instead is backing such competitions as international rugby. He adds that BrewDog is reducing its presence in the on trade and is concentrating on supermarket sales and the wider off trade as well as its own bars.
West Ham United says it cannot comment on the finances of the deal, which is “commercially sensitive”. But experts think it will mean an investment of around £250,000 by BrewDog, including installing dispense and cellar cooling equipment.
While many fans welcome the switch from Heineken to BrewDog others have criticised West Ham — with its historic roots in the London dockers’ unions — for signing a deal with a brewery that has such a poor record of staff relations.
A BBC investigation of BrewDog was cleared by Ofcom when co-founder James Watt had threatened to sue over a documentary about him. The documentary reported that 300 former employees had signed a letter accusing Watt of presiding over a “toxic culture of fear”.
The BBC report also discovered that Watt had bought £500,000 shares in Heineken — the brewery he is replacing at the London Stadium.
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