Augustiner Partnership

We are delighted to announce the signing of a long-term import and distribution agreement with Augustiner-Bräu (Munich, Germany). The deal sees James Clay and Sons appointed as exclusive custodians of Augustiner’s internationally acclaimed beers in the UK.

Augustiner only officially exports to a small number of deeply trusted partners worldwide. This Anglo-German partnership is built on shared values that go far beyond a transactional business relationship.

“Augustiner’s unrelenting commitment to perfection is a powerful reminder that truly inspirational breweries have quality at their heart, not sales and profit. The trust in James Clay and Sons to represent Augustiner’s values in the UK provides a great sense of pride; we make a public commitment to uphold their ethos throughout our long-term partnership” comments Managing Director, James Clay. “We seek quality, heritage and authenticity in our partnerships and few breweries exemplify this more than Munich’s Augustiner.”

The partnership aims to protect the quality standards of Augustiner by ensuring the freshest compliant stock for UK consumers. As part of this, stock will move to non-returnable packaging to be recycled in the UK, cutting out inefficient return logistics and associated carbon footprint. In line with post Brexit regulations, ‘James Clay and Sons’ will be printed on bottles label as the official importer. Customers will have full access to Augustiner-Bräu official glassware and merchandise range, helping to ensure a perfect serve, in the perfect environment for the first time.

The quality of the beer in every customer’s glass is at the centre of Augustiner’s brand integrity. The partnership increases supply chain efficiency putting fresher beer into consumers hands. Augustiner’s beers are packaged with shorter shelf life than the UK standard to ensure the highest quality experience and now we have optimised the supply chain to best support this ‘quality first’ principle.

“For approaching half a century, I have dedicated my professional life to sourcing the world’s finest beers and sharing them with discerning beer drinkers in the UK; this partnership with Augustiner perfectly embodies the mission” comments Ian Clay, founder of James Clay and Sons. “Augustiner Helles is the pinnacle of lager brewing. Its meteoric growth in recent years demonstrates a deep appreciation for their beers in the UK and provides a platform for the next chapter for the brand. We are proud to become part of their story which dates all the way back to 1328”.

Augustiner stands as the last major independent brewery within Munich’s city walls. Being situated within the city grants them the right to serve beer at Oktoberfest, visited by 7 million people annually. They are the only brewery at the festival to pour from 200 litre wooden barrels known as hirsch holzfaß or ‘deer wooden barrel’ as their weight matches that of a deer.

Under the agreement, bottles of Augustiner Helles and Augustiner Edelstoff will be permanently available alongside specials and seasonal beers, Pils, Weissbier, Dunkel Helles Bock, and Maximator. The focus is to continue developing the brand as the lager of choice in independent venues that recognise it’s quality, tradition, and heritage.

About James Clay and Sons

James Clay and Sons, founded in West Yorkshire, England, is a family-owned business, now approaching half a century of trading. The company has built a reputation not only as a leading distributor, but also an internationally acclaimed importer and brand manager.

To find out more please visit: https://www.jamesclay.co.uk email: joe@jamesclay.co.uk or, call: 01422 377 560.

About Augustiner-Bräu

Augustiner Wagner was founded in 1328 by the Augustinian monks of Haberfeld (just outside of Munich). Through centuries of politically challenging times for Germany, the brewery persisted and, after secularisation, was acquired by the Wagner family in 1829. On the event of her death, Edith Haberland-Wagner (the last direct descendent of the Wagner family) willed her 51% share of the company to a charitable foundation in her name. This charity supports numerous honourable causes covering Animal Welfare, Children’s Protection, Cultural History, alongside many other worthy charities across Germany. It has firmly established itself as one of the country’s leading producers. The brewery now produces over 1 Million hectolitres of beer per year, primarily consumed within Germany itself.

For further information see https://www.augustiner-braeu.de/en/home.html

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