Marston’s celebrates Bears sponsorship deal with new brew

WOLVERHAMPTON pubco Marston’s has celebrated its new seven-year sponsorship extension with Warwickshire County Cricket Club by launching what else, a new beer.

Birmingham Bears Beer will be served this summer at more than 50 Marston’s venues in and around Birmingham, including The Victoria, Jekyll & Hyde, Wellington, The Rose Villa Tavern and The New Inn in Harborne.

It will also be served to spectators at the Bears’ home, Edgbaston Stadium.
 
Alastair Robinson, regional manager at Marston’s, said: “The recent extension to our agreement with Warwickshire CCC will take our partnership beyond 20 years and makes it one of the longest standing beer sponsorship deals in sport.
 
“With the recent launch of the new Birmingham Bears brand and attendances almost doubling in two years, we recognise T20 cricket as a fantastic opportunity for Marston’s and we look forward to offering Birmingham Bears Beer to cricket fans across the summer.”
 
Birmingham Bears start their NatWest T20 Blast campaign away to Nottingham Outlaws on Friday (May 20), before taking on local rivals Worcestershire Rapids the following week.

In total, the Bears play seven NatWest T20 Blast matches at Edgbaston with five on Friday nights and two on Sundays, which are double header days with a Birmingham Bears men’s and women’s fixture on the same day.
 
Gareth Roberts, commercial director at WCCC, said: “We’ve made great progress in enhancing our match day experience and making NatWest T20 Blast matches even more accessible to supporters.
 
“The increasing popularity of T20 cricket is creating some fantastic commercial opportunities for our partners and we’re thrilled to work with Marston’s to launch the new Birmingham Bears Beer.”