Lord’s Cricket Ground cuts off deal with popular craft beer company BrewDog after sale to American marijuana producer

Lord’s Cricket Ground and the Marylebone Cricket Club made waves in 2024 by announcing a first-of-its-kind deal with brewing company BrewDog to be its official partner and supplier of beer for the following four years. However, that partnership was snapped and brought to an end after a change in the leadership of BrewDog, which was purchased by a US-based company known as Tilray Brands, which is a cannabis producer.

The craft brewery company’s struggle with sales and finances forced a GBP 33 million rescue bailout by the American conglomerate, which produces medical marijuana and takes over after being forced to cut hundreds of jobs and shut down close to 40 locations across the UK.

Lord’s happens to be another piece of collateral in the deal, ending the four-year deal inside 15 months of its conception, and leaving the historic cricket ground in search of an alternative partner for this venture.

Robert Lawson, the chief executive of the MCC, informed the members of the club of the decision in a letter. Via The Telegraph in the UK, the letter reads: “I am writing to inform you that the MCC Committee has taken the decision to end its contracts with BrewDog, both as an official partner of MCC and as the official beer supplier at Lord’s.”

BrewDog was valued close to 2 billion British Pounds in the previous decade, but has seen mismanagement cause a rapid devaluation following the purchase of a large stake by American company TSG Consumer Partners. This was a decision that forced BrewDog into debt, and required intervention from Tilray – who also purchased craft breweries run by Budweiser’s parent company Anheuser-Busch in 2023.

The letter doesn’t make clear whether the decision was one made on grounds of differing views regarding marijuana, with Tilray being a major supplier, or if it was simply a financial one following the closure of 38 BrewDog pubs and loss of 480+ jobs following the announcement.

“We are proud that 2025 saw record beer sales at Lord’s, reflecting a strong first year of the partnership. However, our priority is to guarantee the high-quality match-day experience that members and visitors rightly expect; to do this, we need certainty from our suppliers,” explained the letter, perhaps indicating that the uncertainty of the buyout leaves the MCC with no choice but to move on.