Relaunched beer brand Hofmeister to be stocked in Loungers

Six years after its relaunch, well-known 1980s beer brand Hofmeister is set to be distributed across the country after it signed a deal to stock its products in bar operator, Loungers.

The deal, the value of which has not been disclosed, will see Hofmeister stocked in Lounger’s 197 sites and its restaurant brand Cosy Club’s 35 venues by the end of September.

The original Hofmeister beer was founded in the 1980s and, despite marketed as a German lager, the brand name was invented by Edinburgh’s Scottish and Newcastle brewery.

After two decades of trading, the brand was discontinued in 2003, and was acquired by Heineken when they took over the brewery in 2007.

Friends Spencer Chambers and Richard Longhurst bought the name from the brewer in 2016 and relaunched the beer a year later.

Products include Hofmeister’s signature beer Hofmeister Helles, a slow brewed and cold fermented larger made in Bavaria, Germany.

The beer brand also launched Hofmeister Weisse and Hofmeister Ultra Low, a low alcohol Helles lager, in late 2020, the same year the company received £350,000 of investment. Investors included Kim Francis, former managing director of pub group Ei, and Euan Venters, former managing director of Greene King pubs. Both sit on the board of directors.

Hofmeister hopes to capitalise on the growth in the world beer category; on-trade business analysts, CGA by Nielsen IQ reported the category grew from £2.06b in 2021 to £3.7b at the end of 2022.

Chambers said: “We want to add real value to the hospitality industry, helping great operators balance value for money with ever increasing retail price points and also provide them with a point of difference in their world lager offering, which for the majority will be their most significant drinks category.

“We see the distribution deal with Loungers, a wonderful business that we admire greatly, as a great endorsement of what we can offer the UK’s best operators.”

Alex Reilley, founder and chairman of Loungers, said: “We are really excited to have Hofmeister pouring in Lounge and Cosy Clubs across the UK. It’s an iconic brand that has been brilliantly reimagined resulting in a beer that is seriously good whilst retaining its sense of fun.”

Earlier this year, Hofmeister re-introduced George the Bear, the brand’s original 1980s advertising mascot.