Tie-up with England’s cricket team marks big break for Yorkshire Tea

Cricketer Michael Vaughan at Lord's in London onboard Yorkshire Tea's 'Little Urn' tea van as the tea brand announces a three-year sponsorship deal with the England Cricket team.

The contract spanning almost three years is the Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate brand’s first national sponsorship deal and comes as the England squad prepares for the much-anticipated Ashes series this summer.

The deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is based around the links between afternoon tea and the game. It will run until October 2015.

Former England captain and Yorkshire batsman Michael Vaughan was at the official launch of the deal today at the home of cricket, Lord’s.

Marketing director Simon Eyles said: “The cricket tea break is synonymous with a proper brew, so throughout the summer we are going to make every tea break fun and engaging for the many fans of the game.”

Events and promotions will take place during the tea breaks in all Test matches, including the forthcoming Ashes series.

Yorkshire Tea has been heavily involved in cricket at a grass-roots level for several years and the game has played a large part in the brand’s history, featuring prominently on its packaging.

The new sponsorship deal will involve marketing through TV advertising, social media websites including twitter and Facebook and promotion on packaging.

The ECB’s commercial director, John Perera, said: “Cricket and tea go hand-in-hand, and Yorkshire Tea is a brand that fits the ECB’s values perfectly.”