Beefy Botham moving into beer business

English cricket legend Sir Ian Botham has been signed by New Zealand brewer Moa Brewing as a business partner in distributing its beer in Britain, and may turn him into a shareholder if it attains success in its British operations.

Botham agreed to go into bat for Moa Brewing after trying Moa beer while in New Zealand to commentate on the English cricket tour earlier this year, Stuff.co.nz reports.

Hoping that Botham's 'impressive' hospitality connections will enable it to crack the UK market, Moa Brewing chief executive Geoff Ross said that Botham was impressed enough to want to know more about the company after he sampled a few Moas and, in time, offered to work with Moa as it expands internationally.

According to Ross, Botham was in New Zealand to cover the English cricket tour earlier in the year and used that time to take in his other love - golf - at the NZPGA, adding that Botham is a great figure to help open doors and his huge social media following will be big for Moa in UK and across international markets.

The report further said that the agreement with Botham involves the former cricketer becoming a shareholder in the brewery, which was set up by young Marlborough brewer Josh Scott, and which quickly attracted investment from Ross's vehicle, The Business Bakery.

Moa raised capital to fund its international expansion by listing on the NZX sharemarket last year, the report added.