The historic Tui brewery in Mangatainoka, a small township in New Zealand’s Tararua District, has officially stopped brewing beer, as was reported by RNZ today. This decision has ended over 130 years of beer production at the iconic site. Established in 1889, the brewery was once a cornerstone of the local community, producing the popular Tui beer for generations.
In 2015, DB Breweries owned by Heineken Asia Pacific and the owner of the Tui brand, made the decision to close the main production plant in Mangatainoka but continued operating a new but smaller brewery on-site to supply the local taproom with specialty brews. However, according to DB Breweries’ Marketing Director Fraser Shrimpton, brewing activities at the Mangatainoka site quietly ceased three years ago.
“The Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in 2020 and 2021 largely prevented us from operating the brewery, and by 2021, we had shifted the remainder of production to our Timaru and Auckland breweries,” Shrimpton said. The brewing equipment from Mangatainoka is now being relocated to other DB production sites around the country.
End of an Era for Mangatainoka
Earlier this month, DB Breweries confirmed that brewery tours at the Tui HQ site in Mangatainoka had been discontinued. Instead, visitors can now enjoy a beer tasting experience that offers a variety of different styles. While the brewing of Tui may no longer take place in the town, DB Breweries reassures fans that the Mangatainoka location will remain a key part of the brand’s identity.
“Mangatainoka remains the spiritual home of Tui,” Shrimpton said. “Visitors are still welcome to enjoy a brew at the Tui HQ café and bar, stroll through the grounds, and take in the iconic brewery tower, which has been earthquake-strengthened.”
Brewery Closures: A Familiar Pattern for DB Breweries
This is not the first time DB Breweries has closed a regional production site. In 2001, the company announced the closure of the Monteith's brewery in Greymouth, moving production to Auckland. That decision sparked significant public backlash, forcing DB to continue producing some of Monteith's range on the West Coast for nearly two more decades. However, by 2020, all remaining production was shifted to the Timaru and Auckland breweries.
Lincoln University professor and New Zealand beer historian Greg Ryan was cited by RNZ that, unlike Monteith’s closure, the cessation of brewing at Tui’s Mangatainoka site has not triggered a significant public response.
“When DB stopped brewing Monteith’s on the West Coast, there was a real outcry about tradition and local identity,” Ryan explained. “But with Tui, I didn’t sense the same level of reaction when they announced in 2015 that brewing would move elsewhere.”
Ryan attributes this difference to Tui’s broader, national appeal, particularly due to its famous ‘Yeah, Right’ billboard campaign from the late 1990s and its popularity among students. “Tui seems to be more of a national brand, not as closely tied to the Manawatū and Wairarapa regions,” he added.
