Source: Marston’s

Varney will join the board of the brewer from 1 July and sit on its nomination and remuneration committees

Marston’s has hired leisure industry stalwart Nick Varney as a non-executive director.

Varney, currently CEO of Merlin Entertainments, also held roles in fmcg at the likes of Nestlé Rowntree and Reckitt & Colman throughout his career.

He will join the board of the brewer from 1 July and sit on its nomination and remuneration committees.

Marston’s chair William Rucker said he was “delighted to welcome Nick to the Marston’s board”.

“Under his stewardship, Merlin Entertainments has become a world-class international business with customer experience at its core, delivering digital transformation through customer-friendly platforms.

“This, together with his brand-building insight and expertise in building a diverse portfolio of family-based leisure brands and attractions, will be invaluable to Marston’s at this exciting juncture.”

The move comes on the back of a solid year in the off-trade for Marston’s beer brands, which it sells through the recently-formed Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company after a merger with the Danish brewer in 2020.

Hobgoblin, for instance, grew by 2.1% to £22m in the supermarkets, while Shipyard American Pale Ale added a cool £4.5m, growing 156.9% to £7.4m [NielsenIQ 52 w/e 11 September 2021].