After the MG factory moved in 1980, production declined and Old Speckled Hen was almost exclusively available in pubs operated by Morland due to financial constraints and a different direction being taken by the brewery- believing its future lay in the production of lager. Within a few years, Morland began to re-explore ale production, reviving Old Speckled Hen and launching the draught version in 1990 with considerable success, with Old Speckled Hen proving to be a beer that Morland could market outside their own estate.