JD Wetherspoon Settles Spat With Heineken

By Ian Walker

LONDON--J.D. Wetherspoon PLC (JDW.LN) said Monday it has now reached an agreement with Heineken to stock a range of the Dutch brewer's products in its U.K. and Republic of Ireland pubs.

Wetherspoon's pubs in the U.K. will serve Heineken, Fosters, Kronenbourg 1664, Strongbow, John Smith's Extra Smooth and Amstel, it said. In the Republic of Ireland Wetherspoon pubs will serve Beamish, Fosters and Symonds Cider, but not Murphy's or Heineken.

In December the firm, which was set up by Tim Martin, who is currently chairman, in 1979 with its first pub in Muswell Hill, North London, said it will no longer sell Heineken products at its 926 pubs in the U.K. blaming a refusal by the brewer to supply Heineken lager--Ireland's biggest-selling draught beer--and Murphy's stout, before the opening of its second pub in Ireland.

Heineken blamed concerns over Wetherspoon's pricing. Wetherspoon had been selling Heineken lager and Murphy's at under 3 euros ($3.65) a pint in its first pub in the country against an average price in Irish pubs of around EUR5.

In response, Heineken said in December it was seeking a resolution as soon as possible.

This isn't the only supply issue that JD Wetherspoon has faced in Ireland. Diageo PLC (DGE.LN), the owner of Guinness stout didn't supply Wetherspoon's only pub in Blackrock, which opened in July, due to pricing issues.

- Razak Musah Baba contributed to this article.

-Write to Ian Walker at [e-mail]; @IanWalk40289749

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