Joe Marler has partnered with Beavertown and CALM to launch Tell a Mate Why You Love Them this Valentine’s Day
New research by Beavertown shows over half (62%) of UK men have never said ‘I love you’ to their mates
Together with UK suicide prevention charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), they are launching a nationwide campaign to get British men to say ‘I love you’ to a mate this Valentine’s
The campaign is fronted by Joe Marler and Chris Stark, who kicked things off with a public declaration of love, using their own story to inspire men to open up. Watch this reveal moment here.
The brewery is also giving away 5,000 free pints across the UK to encourage men to invite friends to the pub and say “love you, mate” in person.
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London, 10th February, 2026: New research commissioned by Beavertown has found that while 85% of British men say their friends are some of the most important people in their lives, 62% have never told a mate they love them and 90% admit to never talking about anything serious.
To address this, Beavertown has partnered with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to launch ‘Tell a Mate Why You Love Them’ this Valentine’s Day. Fronted by real life friends Joe Marler and Chris Stark, the nationwide campaign challenges men to get past the discomfort and say how they really feel.
Launched today in London, Joe surprised Chris with a public declaration of love by rolling down an 8 by 10 metre sign over the side of the Wallis Road bridge in Hackney Wick, close to London’s iconic Olympic Park. This sign displayed his appreciation for their friendship loud and clear reading, “I LOVE YOU CHRIS STARK - YOUR MATE, JOE MARLER”. You can watch their reveal moment here.
Beavertown’s research shows that two thirds of men (67%) think their mental health would benefit if they were able to open up more to their mates, and Joe’s declaration serves as a rallying cry to men everywhere to step beyond the awkwardness and tell their friends what they mean to them.
Commenting on the launch Joe Marler, who is also a CALM Ambassador, said: “I love Chris, but I’ve never told him. Hopefully printing it on a massive sign gets the message across. Men care about their mates, but we don’t always say it out loud and 54% of us think “it's not the done thing”. Saying ‘I love you’ doesn’t have to be as extreme as I’ve done it, but my mates have helped me through tough times, and if you love someone, you should say it.”
A huge 73% of men would like to go beyond conversations about surface level topics to have deeper conversations with their mates, but rather than doing this the research shows that around the same amount (76%) admitted that they are more likely to hide their affections for their mates in ‘banter’. When they do want to show they care, 39% buy their mates a pint, while 36% give an awkward ‘man hug’, fist bump (27%) or give them a high five (24%).
With that in mind, alongside Joe and Chris, Beavertown has helped real-life mates across the country say “I love you” to their best friends for the first time.
Including a personalised billboard from Kofi to his friend Jack near their old house in Streatham; a four-foot Hollywood-style letter message overlooking the Glasgow skyline as Adam surprised childhood friend Ciaran; fake band posters plastering Camden with messages of love from PJ to his best mate Mandeep; and a one-of-a-kind Bradford curry house reveal, where a giant menu banner declared love from Leon to Ryan. Watch the heartwarming reveals here.
Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, added: “Strong friendships can be a lifeline, yet many men struggle to open up to those closest to them. The real-life stories featured in this campaign show how expressing appreciation can strengthen bonds and have a positive impact on mental health. Working with Beavertown to encourage men to take that first step is a simple but powerful way to highlight the value of friendship.”
Jochen Van Esch, Managing Director at Beavertown, said: “Pubs bring mates together, but conversations often stay on the surface. Over the past few years we have worked with CALM to break the norms around mental health in order to help people open up to their friends, whether that’s taking up a new skill like climbing, a packet of crisps designed to start a chat and now a public declaration of love for your friend. So this Valentine’s Day take a mate for a pint, and tell him how you feel - it could make all the difference.”
From 9th to 22nd February, Beavertown is also giving away 5,000 free pints through the DUSK app to encourage Brits to invite friends to the pub and say “love you, mate” in person.*
To find out more about the campaign visit https://beavertownbrewery.co.uk/tell-a-mate
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NOTES TO EDITORS
*DUSK app:
As part of the campaign Beavertown is also partnering with the DUSK app, giving away 5,000 free pints between 9th - 22nd February to encourage men to take their friends for a pint over Valentine’s Weekend and take the first step in being more open with their friends. We’ve teamed up with DUSK so you can send a mate a free pint of Neck Oil as an excuse to meet up and say those three special words, face to face. Click this link that will take you to DUSK’s page, choose a pub, and follow the steps to send your mate an invite.
Research:
This research of 2,000 Brits was commissioned by Beavertown and conducted by Perspectus Global in November 2025.
About Beavertown:
Beavertown Brewery is dedicated to crafting high quality, innovative beers like Neck Oil IPA, Cosmic Drop Beer with a Fruit Punch, Satellite Super Session and Lazer Crush Alcohol Free IPA that appeal to the thirsty masses. From brewing to branding, we believe in creativity at the heart of everything we do.
At Beavertown, we believe beer is more than just a beer, it’s an experience. That’s why we host weekly Saturday taprooms to give people the chance to taste our carefully crafted beer in its natural habitat, our own Tottenham brewery.
Now 11 years old, Beavertown began life on a 650L kit in a BBQ joint in Haggerston. The brewery in Tottenham Hale produces 5500L batches (or 9,000,000 pints a year) and our new home in Enfield - Beaverworld - will allow Beavertown to produce ten times this, a staggering 90,000,000 pints a year.
The official craft beer of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., you can enjoy a crisp pint of your favourite Beavertown brew in our new taproom and microbrewery inside the stadium - the first of its kind.
In 2021, Beavertown opened the doors to its first-ever pub, Corner Pin, at the brewery’s home in Tottenham. Popping with vibrant blasts of colour, iconic Beavertown designs and with a menu featuring the whole range of Beavertown's out-of-this-world beers, Corner Pin encompasses everything that makes the brand unique, bringing all of its creativity and curiosity to the new north London location.
Winner of 3 gold medals at the International Beer Challenge for core range beers Gamma Ray & Neck Oil.
About Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is a suicide prevention charity fighting to reduce the devastating impact of suicide in the UK. They run a life-saving helpline for anyone affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts. It’s free, anonymous and open from 5 pm to midnight every day.
Their website has loads of tools and resources packed with practical, non-clinical advice to make talking and managing mental health easier.
CALM also run vital campaigns to increase awareness, smash stereotypes, and change the culture around mental health and suicide.
To find out more about CALM , our services or for support or advice visit thecalmzone.net
