The Spectacular and Utterly True History of Tui

Tui, the little beer that did. This is the story of 125 years of brewing, ever since a guy by the name of Henry Wagstaff made the mental leap between having the best cup of tea he'd ever tasted, made with water from the Mangatainoka River, to thinking he should start a brewery there, deep in the middle of nowhere. From Henry's rowdy early days to today, with the iconic "Yeah, Right" billboards, the Tui girls, and people in orange shirts smashing into each other trying to catch a cricket ball, this is the story of a company and a brew not scared to follow its own path. Tui is the beer with a philosophy of not taking anything, especially authority, too seriously. This is also the story of a small brand that, thanks to this philosophy, outgrew its regional roots to become a national player in a market that does love a beer or two. Tui is, in this sense, a classic Kiwi success story.

James Griffin was one half of the creative pair behind Outrageous Fortune, which won him the Air New Zealand Screen Award for Best Script Drama/Comedy in 2007 and the award for Best Script at the 2007 Qantas Television Awards. James also co-wrote the 2006 blockbuster hit Sione’s Wedding with Oscar Kightley. He is currently Head Writer at South Pacific Pictures, and writes a weekly column for Canvas magazine.