The partnership has resulted in 10 years of Halewood growing the Tsingtao brand in the UK, using its distribution and sales infrastructure.
Halewood says it will work with Tsingtao’s new distribution partner to ensure there is a smooth transition and supply is not affected.
Tsingtao's general manager, international, Ning Ma, said: “This was a mutual decision made in the best interests of both Tsingtao and Halewood given our respective business strategies and focus going forward.
“We would like to applaud Stewart Hainsworth personally and his team for their constant support to consolidate Tsingtao’s positioning of number one beer brand from China for past years, on which we are committed to build further success along with our new partners. And we would like to wish Halewood continued success in the future.”
Halewood’s group CEO of wines & spirits, Stewart Hainsworth, said: “Halewood Wines & Spirits has a renewed vision to become an international specialist in artisanal spirits and craft beers. To that effect, it will focus its UK agency business on premium artisanal spirits, and for this reason Tsingtao will no longer be distributed by Halewood. We have enjoyed a special relationship with Tsingtao for a decade and ensured the brand has become a trailblazer in Asian imports in the category.”
In a separate statement, Halewood ha announced a new distribution deal in the UK and Republic of Ireland with Costa Rica’s Centenario Internacional Rum.
Halewood regards itself as specialists in “innovative and artisanal spirits”. It says it will “utilise its extensive national footprint to build the Costa Rican rum brand, with the view of delivering success akin to what it has achieved with Whitley Neill, its premium gin brand. Halewood will import Centenario’s 7, 9 and 12-year-old expressions, as well its solera 25 and 30 variants.
Halewood’s portfolio of premium artisanal rums includes Rum Sixty Six, Peaky Blinder Black Spiced Rum, and the recent acquisition of Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum.
