Lion to refund kegs that will never see a schooner glass

With Greater Sydney’s lockdown to continue for another fortnight, Lion has announced it will credit pubs and clubs for full, unused kegs nearing the end of their shelf life, putting cash back into the pockets of struggling hospitality business operators across the city.

Lion Managing Director James Brindley said 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 fourth 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."

On 23 March 2020, Lion announced it would refund customers for any unused, full, capped kegs nationally – which totalled more than $30 million. To mark the one year anniversary of the original lockdown, Lion declared 23 March 2021 the inaugural National Local Day, and offered consumers a $15 Digital Mastercard to spend at their local on a cold beer or two with family and friends, which saw $600,000 spent in pubs and clubs across the country.

Lion will refund any kegs bought on 1 June 2021 or after, that have a best before date at the end of July and will review the situation again at that time.