By Ian Walker
LONDON--J.D. Wetherspoon PLC (JDW.LN) said Monday it has now
reached an agreement with Heineken to stock a range of the Dutch
brewer's products in its U.K. and Republic of Ireland pubs.
Wetherspoon's pubs in the U.K. will serve Heineken, Fosters,
Kronenbourg 1664, Strongbow, John Smith's Extra Smooth and Amstel,
it said. In the Republic of Ireland Wetherspoon pubs will serve
Beamish, Fosters and Symonds Cider, but not Murphy's or
Heineken.
In December the firm, which was set up by Tim Martin, who is
currently chairman, in 1979 with its first pub in Muswell Hill,
North London, said it will no longer sell Heineken products at its
926 pubs in the U.K. blaming a refusal by the brewer to supply
Heineken lager--Ireland's biggest-selling draught beer--and
Murphy's stout, before the opening of its second pub in
Ireland.
Heineken blamed concerns over Wetherspoon's pricing. Wetherspoon
had been selling Heineken lager and Murphy's at under 3 euros
($3.65) a pint in its first pub in the country against an average
price in Irish pubs of around EUR5.
In response, Heineken said in December it was seeking a
resolution as soon as possible.
This isn't the only supply issue that JD Wetherspoon has faced
in Ireland. Diageo PLC (DGE.LN), the owner of Guinness stout didn't
supply Wetherspoon's only pub in Blackrock, which opened in July,
due to pricing issues.
- Razak Musah Baba contributed to this article.
-Write to Ian Walker at ian.walker@wsj.com; @IanWalk40289749
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