London football team unveil new Kent beer signing

Faversham brewer Shepherd Neame has signed a multi-year partnership with a League One football club.

The Kent pub giant has become ‘official pouring rights partner’ of east London side Leyton Orient.

As part of the agreement, Shepherd Neame is working with the club to refurbish its South Stand Bar this summer with its branding and has also invested a significant amount of money to modernise ‘the beer-pulling infrastructure’ throughout its Gaughan Group Stadium.

The deal will see the firm, which has 300 pubs and hotels across the South East, be the official provider of beer, cider, wine, spirits and soft drinks at the club’s home ground.

The partnership will begin on July 1.

Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “The Os are a fantastic club with a long heritage and incredibly loyal fanbase, and we look forward to working with them during the coming years.”

Leyton Orient FC’s chief executive, Mark Devlin, added: “Shepherd Neame are locally based to us and have also expressed a real desire to engage with our supporters on a number of projects, with one of those starting almost immediately, and we are excited about working alongside them.”

To launch the partnership, Shepherd Neame is releasing a limited-edition commemorative lager.