Cock & Bull has winning formula

Pub and brewing company The Cock & Bull was last night named business of the year in the WestpacTrust Manukau Business Excellence Awards.

The award was presented at a gala dinner for more than 500 people hosted by Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis.

The Cock & Bull also won the award for the best draught ale produced by a small brewery at the Australian International Beer Awards in Melbourne last night.

The Cock & Bull began brewing ales and lagers in 1995 using traditional brewing methods, without chemicals or preservatives. At the same time it opened its first English style pub, to which it supplied its own boutique ales and lagers.

The company now has three Cock & Bull pubs. Managing director Kieran Meyer said the company had exceeded its own expectations, both in financial performance and in its popularity with the wider community.

The Manukau judges were impressed by the overall quality of the company, saying it is a classic case of vertically integrated success in an extremely competitive market. The business also won the Nuance Group Retail Excellence Award.

The other winners were:

Mariner 7 Best Emerging Business: Auckland Vehicle Refrigeration; Telecom Local Directories Best Small Business: Cyrus International; International Travel College Tourism: Howick Historical Village; Phillips Fox Innovation: JMI Aerospace; Transport, Warehousing and Distribution: Kuehne and Nagel; Excellence in Manufacturing: PSM Healthcare; Excellence in Exporting and the Skill NZ Staff Development Award: Tasman Industries; Telecom Local Directories Customers' Choice: Meet in the Sandwich Cafe in East Tamaki.

Two captains of industry, George Fistonich and the late Malcolm McConnell, were inducted into the Manukau Business Hall of Fame.