Tribute Cornish Pale Ale will now be available on board British Airways flights from March thanks to an historic deal signed between the airline and makers St Austell Brewery.
Tribute is St Austell’s flagship brand and one of the fastest growing premium ale brands in the UK. The agreement with British Airways will open up the hugely successful Cornish brand to millions of the airline’s customers every year.
St Austell Brewery is producing a specially commissioned 330ml can of the 4.2% award winning ale for the airline.
James Staughton, Managing Director of St Austell Brewery, said: “Tribute Cornish Pale Ale has experienced huge success over recent years, but this agreement truly marks it out as the beer of the moment. It is testament to the quality and flavour of our locally produced beer and also to the growing strength of the unique Cornish identity that Tribute was chosen as the only ale to be served on all British Airways flights.
“This is a historic day for St Austell Brewery and we are thrilled that passengers will be able to enjoy a true taste of Cornwall while flying all around the world. “
Tribute Cornish Pale Ale was selected as part of a move to offer the airline’s customers a taste of premium regional brands from across the length and breadth of the UK. It will be available for all customers flying long-haul and for those in Club Europe on short-haul flights, as well as in British Airways’ network of global lounges.
Troy Warfield, British Airways’ director of customer experience, said: “St Austell Brewery’s beer is the best of British so we’re delighted to offer it to customers in our lounges and on board our flights.
“We’re very proud to bring one of Britain’s premium regional beers to a wider audience so they can appreciate this perfectly balanced ale and enjoy a taste of one of the South West’s most popular brews.”
The deal will see Tribute Ale served on all but the airline’s domestic flights from March 1st. British Airways offers complimentary in-flight dining and drinks, including a wide range of alcohol from the in-flight bar, to customers in every cabin of the airline’s long and short-haul flights.
Founded in 1851 by Cornishman Walter Hicks, today St Austell Brewery remains an independent and family-owned business, offering a wide range of top quality award winning beers and operating an estate of 170 pubs, inns and hotels.
Tribute started out as Daylight Robbery, the very first ale created for St Austell Brewery by head brewer Roger Ryman for the eclipse in 1999. The secret recipe which Roger had been keeping till he became a head brewer proved so popular it was renamed Tribute and is now the company’s best-selling beer.
Last year St Austell Brewery reached the landmark figure of 100,000 brewers’ barrels of its own brand beers brewed and sold in a calendar year – the first time the milestone amount has been reached in the independent company’s 164 year history. The success is in large part down to its multi award-winning Tribute Pale Ale, Proper Job IPA and Korev lager.
St Austell Brewery is already making waves abroad with more than 20 countries around the world enjoying beers created by the UK’s top regional brewer. Hundreds of barrels are exported from Cornwall each month to places including Brazil, Japan and Canada. The most far flung consumers live 10,000 miles away in New Zealand where it takes seven weeks for St Austell Brewery deliveries to arrive by ship.
Tribute is a light, hoppy, zesty, easy to drink ale and consistently delicious.
Video: From Beer to Eternity. Watch the British Airway video on the partnership between the two long established brands here:https://youtu.be/8DbM6WMd6wE
Embed code: <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/8DbM6WMd6wE” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>
ENDS
February 8, 2016
Image: A selection of images can be accessed here:…
Captions
- James Staughton, Managing Director of St Austell Brewery, at the British Airways check-in at Gatwick.
- A passenger is served up a glass of Tribute on board
Notes to editors:
About St Austell Brewery (www.staustellbrewery.co.uk)
- St Austell Brewery was named Best Regional Brewer at the Publicans Choice Awards 2013 and 2014, and was named the Best Tenanted & Leased Pub Company (up to 200 sites) at The Publican Awards 2015.
- Its flagship Tribute Ale (4.2% ABV) was named Best Drink at the Food Reader Awards in 2013; won the title of Best Regional Cask Ale Brand at The Publican’s Choice Awards 2014 and is currently in the top five of the UK’s best-selling premium cask ales.
- Tribute Cornish Pale Ale was chosen by British Airways as the only ale to be served on boards all its non-domestic flights. The agreement came into effect on March 1st2016.
- St Austell’s Cornish IPA, Big Job, was named Supreme National Champion Bottled beer, and Champion Golden Bottled Beer at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) 2015 awards and the Admiral’s Ale won World’s Best Bitter and the World Beer Awards 2015.
- In 2015 St Austell Brewery reached the landmark figure of 100,000 brewer’s barrels of its own brand beers brewed in a calendar year.
- Founded in 1851, St Austell Brewery is known to be one of the oldest businesses in Cornwall.
- It is one of only 30 Independently Family Owned Brewers in the UK.
- The company owns 167 pubs and inns across the South West.
- It is the South West’s largest wholesale distributor of beer, ciders, wines, spirits and soft drinks, serving more than 3,000 free trade accounts, from pubs, clubs, restaurants, hotels and other licensed outlets in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Bristol.
- The company employs up to 1,000 people including part-time and seasonal staff.
- The company brews five main cask ale beer brands: Tribute, Proper Job, Trelawny, Cornish Best and HSD. Korev Cornish Lager is also available on draught.
- The bottled beer range consists of HSD, Tribute, Tribute Extra, Proper Job, Admiral’s Ale, Clouded Yellow, Cornish Bock, Big Job, Eden Pale Ale, and Korev Cornish lager.
- St Austell Brewery’s Coastal Pub and Kitchen menu won Best Pub Menu (3-20 sites) at Restaurant Magazine’s Development Chef Awards 2015.
- The company markets its cask ales nationally.
- The company also distributes a full range of national brands of beers and minerals and a full range of wines and spirits under the Walter Hicks label which won the Best Regional Distributor/Wholesaler of the Year Award at the Harpers Awards 2015.
- The company is a recognised centre of excellence for training, accredited by the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), offering a wide range of courses to people who work in the licensed trade.
For further information about St Austell Brewery, please contact:
Jeremy Mitchell Tom Cowle
Director of Marketing & Communications DCA PR
St Austell Brewery PR on behalf of St Austell Brewery
Tel: 01726 627149 Tel: 01208 77900
e-mail: Jeremy.Mitchell@staustellbrewery.co.uk e-mail: tom.cowle@dca-pr.co.uk
For information about BA contact the BA press office on 020 8738 5100