Moorhouse’s, Lancashire’s leading independent brewery, has pledged ongoing backing to the county’s annual Twenty20 Cricket Competition with a renewed sponsorship deal.
The second Moorhouse’s Brewery Lancashire Cricket League 20/20 Competition will ensure the famous ‘Pendle Witches’ brands enjoy excellent exposure in the acclaimed Burnley brewer’s 150th anniversary year. It will run for another three years alongside Heineken UK’s sponsorship of the Lancashire Cricket League under the Foster’s brand.
Fiercely fought by 14 teams from Burnley and Todmorden, the Blackburn area and the Rossendale Valley, the annual contest runs from late May to July.
Moorhouse’s managing director David Grant said: “We are really delighted to announce our second three year sponsorship of such a well supported local cricket contest. As we mark our milestone 150th anniversary year, the renewed sponsorship will provide an excellent platform to promote our celebrated Lancashire brewed cask ales in our heartland.”
League officials have warmly welcomed the local sponsorship for the contest which attracts strong support to Friday night games over seven weeks. A case of beer will be presented to the ‘Man of the Match’ at each game.
The launch of a new state-of-the art tower brewery four years ago trebled former production capacity to transform Moorhouse’s into ‘the North West’s newest regional brewer’. Turnover has now reached £5.5m with sales growth across the UK and the launch of special ales such as White Witch alongside its five award winning five core brands – Black Cat, Blond Witch, Premier Bitter, Pride of Pendle and Pendle Witches Brew.
Ends/MHPR- 20/20 Sponsorship 2015
Notes to editors:
*Moorhouse’s has won more awards than any comparable brewer – including the much revered CAMRA ‘Supreme Champion Beer of Britain’ for Black Cat (3.4%abv) at the Great British Beer Festival.. Black Cat also took gold in the Standard Strength Cask-Conditioned Ale category of the Brewing Industry International Awards (BIIA) 2011 – the ‘Oscar’s’ of the brewing world.
Pride of Pendle (4.1%abv) was hailed as ‘best cask ale in the world’ when voted BIIA Champion Cask Ale in 2004 and Premier Bitter (3.7%abv) also took gold in its class the same year. Pendle Witches Brew (5.1%) has won several top brewing awards while Blond Witch (4.5%), the fastest growing brand, has enjoyed wide acclaim from consumer and industry competitions.
Founder William Moorhouse established his drinks manufacturing business in Accrington Road, Burnley, in 1865. Originally it produced mineral waters and then low strength hop bitters for Temperance Movement bars. Moorhouse’s began full strength brewing in the 1970s and in the eighties Manchester businessman Bill Parkinson bought the then ailing brewery ‘because he liked the beer’. Now, Moorhouse’s directly supplies several hundred pubs throughout the North West region and in Yorkshire, while distributing nationally via leading wholesalers and major pub chains.
For further information contact: Steve Hobman, Rhino Public Relations: 01829 250502/ 07751 578605. email: shobman@rhinopr.freeserve.co.uk