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13th December 2023

Greene King Extends Partnership with Estrella Galicia

Greene King Brewery has extended its partnership with Estrella Galicia with exclusive UK distribution rights until 2027.

Having started the partnership with Estrella Galicia back in 2018, Greene King will continue to supply the UK trade with the Spanish brewer’s core brand and its 0.0% ABV variant in draught, as well as its gluten-free variant, 1906 Reserva Especial and 1906 Black Coupage in bottle.

Located in A Coruña, Galicia, the Hijos de Rivera Brewery was founded in 1906 by José María Rivera Corral and continues to brew Estrella Galicia to this day with family descendants still running the business.

As part of the partnership, Greene King has recently announced that Estrella Galicia Lager will be distributed across 72 premium outlets with Metropolitan Pub Company, which has some fantastic venues in London and other major cities, each with their own charm and character.

Alex Bruce, Liquor Operations Manager at Metropolitan Pub Company, said: “We’re thrilled to see Estrella Galicia Lager launching across our Metropolitan estate and it’s already proving a hit with teams and customers. It’s great to be able to work in partnership with our brewery to provide a great range of beers on our bars that complements the experience that we offer.”

Matt Starbuck, Managing Director for the Greene King Brewery, said: “As two long standing brewers, Greene King and Estrella Galicia both cherish heritage along with providing quality beer. We’re proud to offer an authentic and traditional Spanish Lager to the UK market and we’re excited to continue to build the presence of Estrella Galicia in both the on and off trade markets.

“The recent launch in Metropolitan Pub Company is sure to be a big step for the brand. It’s always a pleasure to work with Estrella Galicia and we’re looking forward to seeing the brand develop and grow further across the next four years.”

Aitor Artaza, Managing Director for Estrella Galicia Internacional, said: “Our partnership with Greene King is of great importance to our company’s international growth. Its strong distribution network is absolutely key and Greene King’s significant pub estate is a clear opportunity for us.

“We are extremely pleased to be extending our relationship as we move into the next stage of our brand within the UK; where we show the market how bold we can be with our new “Spanish, not Span-ish” media campaign calling out in-authenticity in World Lager within the market.”

Greene King distributes Estrella Galicia to outlets and retailers across the UK, as well as on its online shop. To view the products available, go to: https://shop.greeneking.co.uk/collections/estrella-galicia-lager. For sales enquiries, email customersales-1@greeneking.co.uk.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.

At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives’. That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 39,000 people across the group with four divisions: Greene King pubs, Destination Brands, Partnership and Ventures, and Brewing & Brands.

  • Greene King pubs are located where people and communities come together; pubs enjoyed in cities, towns and villages throughout the country
  • Destination Brands is a mixture of food and drink-led brands including Hungry Horse, Farmhouse Inns, Chef & Brewer, Flaming Grill and Wacky Warehouse
  • Partnerships & Ventures includes Pub Partners, which runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive Franchise pubs, and our Ventures Brands which is made up of Metropolitan Pub Company, Hickory’s, Hotels Group and Crafted Pubs
  • Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, brewed for the modern-day drinker.

About Estrella Galicia 

Estrella Galicia is the flagship beer brand of Hijos de Rivera, an independent, fourth generation family-owned brewery founded in 1906 in A Coruña. Estrella Galicia is now present in over 50 countries, including the UK in which it has had a solid positioning since its arrival in 2012.  Estrella Galicia offers a wide-ranging product portfolio and distributes a variety of products to the UK market including Estrella Galicia Cerveza Lager, 0,0%, Gluten-free, 1906 Reserva Especial and 1906 Black Coupage.

In 2021, Hijos de Rivera achieved carbon neutrality in its main facilities through measures including the generation of biogas, the use of renewable energies, the installation of photovoltaic plants and the incorporation of hybrid vehicles.


Contact: Holly Smith, HollySmith@greeneking.co.uk

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