Tuatara Brewery tastes Fast 50 success

Tuatara Brewery tastes Fast 50 success
Tuatara Brewery

Wellington’s award-winning Tuatara Brewery has tasted double success on the latest Deloitte Fast 50 list. Last week, Tuatara was named as the fastest growing manufacturing business in the lower North Island region and the 39th fastest growing business in New Zealand overall.

Director Sean Murrie says the awards reflect Tuatara’s commitment to quality during a period of rapid growth for the company. “When we started business in December 2000, Tuatara beers were basically available from only two bars in town and the brewery. Now, our range can be found in a number of outlets both on tap and in bottles. To meet the ever growing demand, our brewery doubled in size in 2007 and then quadrupled in size again this year. Throughout that growth period, the focus has been on maintaining the quality of our craft beers,” he says.

Success on the Deloitte Fast 50 caps a great year for Tuatara Brewery. At the 2008 Brew NZ Beer Awards, Tuatara was crowned the inaugural Champion Brewery of New Zealand. “Staying focused on making great beer has really paid off. It is what we do best. As a result, we are getting new customers, expanding our distribution and even had the opportunity to launch a new beer – Tuatara Helles,” Sean says.

The Tuatara range comprises of the quenching Tuatara Hefe, easy-drinking Tuatara Helles, crisp Tuatara Pilsner, hoppy Tuatara India Pale Ale, decadent Tuatara Porter and boisterous Tuatara Ardennes.

Deloitte partner Matt McKendry says the fast-moving firms all felt the recession as but had a distinctly common approach about how to get through. "It's always the same story. They focus on the niche rather than being a broad player, and if you get that niche with a strong value proposition you can keep that growth rate going," he says.

Entry to the Deloitte Fast 50 was open to New Zealand registered businesses operating for at least three years. To be eligible for the award, businesses needed to show a minimum revenue of $250,000 in their first year and a minimum of $500,000 in their third year.

ENDS

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