AMERICAN CRAFT BEERS ON TAP AFTER £55m DEAL

Marston’s was founded in 1834 and is the world’s largest brewer of cask ale It employs more than 14,500 people across its 1,600 pubs, breweries, depots and offices Marston’s most famous beers are Pedigree, Wychwood Hobgoblin and Wainwright Founders Brewing is a craft beer brewery set up in 1997 in Michigan The strongest beer it has made is an imperial IPA called Devil Dancer, left, which is 12pc ABV Spanish brewer Mahou-San Miguel owns a 30pc stake in Founders

MARSTON’S is hoping a range of American craft beers will boost its fortunes and take the business more upmarket.

The group, which owns pubs across the UK, has enjoyed soaring sales of Founders All Day IPA after it won distribution rights to the beer following its £55m purchase of brewery company Charles Wells, which owned the rights, last year. Marston’s has secured a five-year deal with Michigan-based Founders Brewing Company amid booming demand for craft beer in the UK. Founders is a family-run business known for its punchy, high alcohol-per-volume beers.

It could be a winning deal for Marston’s, which crashed out of the FTSE250 index last month amid rising costs for pub chains.

John Clements, head of commercial marketing at Marston’s, said: ‘When I think about All Day IPA in particular, it really is all about the beer – it’s that good, we simply say to operators, “Just take the lid off and take a sip”.’