 In 1971 , Allied Breweries sold its 35 per cent stake in the company , leaving Whitbread 25 per cent and the Boddington family 10 per cent , with the remainder of company shares held by small shareholders in the Manchester area . That year Guinness Draught stout and Heineken lager were introduced into the tied estate . During the 1970s the company operated within a 70 @-@ mile radius of Manchester , and growth was driven by the increasing popularity of its main product , Boddingtons Bitter . The Observer commented in 1974 that Boddingtons cheap pricing and distinctive flavour afforded it an unusually loyal following . In 1981 the same newspaper commented , 
