Lion refunding untapped kegs

Lion has announced it will credit venues for full, unused kegs nearing the end of their shelf life as lockdowns continue.

The brewer will refund any kegs bought on 1 June or after, that have a best before date at the end of July and will review the situation again at that time, with Managing Director James Brindley saying the latest outbreak was another devastating blow for an industry already on its knees.

“Beer is fresh and needs to be enjoyed within its short shelf life,” Brindley said.

“Our thoughts are with everyone in the hospitality industry across Greater Sydney, and the most important thing we can do is stick together and support one another.

“We hope this initiative will go some way to easing some of the unimaginable burden that many pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants will currently be facing. It truly feels like Groundhog Day.

“We never wanted to be in this situation again, after having had to tip the equivalent of 11 million schooners last year. Once again there will be a large volume of beer in kegs that will sadly never get to see a schooner.

“With the Sydney lockdown now entering its third week, our focus will now turn to preparing for re-opening, and we will be ready with the freshest kegs in the state to welcome their communities back with open arms. We’ll continue to monitor the NSW Government’s response and adjust our support if needed.

“We’ve done this before, and we will get through it again, and we are committed to supporting pubs and clubs – the local venues that keep our communities connected – every step of the way.”

Lion announced a similar scheme in March last year after the whole country was placed in lockdown, which resulted in more than $30m in keg refunds.