What Clayton Hops NZ does

Clayton Hops NZ is a family-owned, vertically integrated hop growing and processing company headquartered in the Tasman region of New Zealand, operated by three brothers (Brian, Glen and Andrew Clayton) along with their partners. It is New Zealand's largest hop grower, operating four farms totalling approximately 1,350 acres and housing the country's premier pelletising, packaging and cool store facility in Nelson with design capacity of 2,500–3,000 kg of T90 hop pellets per hour. Its product portfolio centres on T90 hop pellets produced within 3–7 days of harvest, the Amplifire™ advanced product range built on a patent-pending cryogenic concentrated lupulin separation process (the only such facility in the Southern Hemisphere) including water-soluble fresh hop oil, and complementary yeast strains distributed from WHC Lab alongside the proprietary Thiol Theory™ product.

The company sells direct to craft brewers globally through an e-commerce storefront with six regional warehouses (NZ, Australia VIC, Australia WA, UK, US, EU) and currency-denominated pricing per region, supplemented by dedicated regional sales managers in the US and Australia and a B2B contract portal for larger volume buyers. Its go-to-market blends direct-to-consumer online sales, enterprise field sales, and event-led demand generation across major global brewing trade shows. Exclusive commercialisation rights through the Clayton Innovation Project with the Bioeconomy Science Institute (formerly Plant & Food Research) provide a proprietary pipeline of new hop varieties, with NZ Rhapzody™ (CIP 014) and CIP 076 both sold out of their 2025 crops and scheduled for commercial release in 2026. Customer concentration is spread across mid-market craft brewers globally, and the business is differentiated by freshness, provenance (FernMark certification), international compliance (FSSC 22000, ISO 9001, FDA, Kosher), and independently verified carbon footprint performance through BX.

Name

Clayton Hops NZ

Legal name

Clayton Hops Limited

Website

https://claytonhops.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clayton Hops NZ is a family-owned, vertically integrated hop grower and processor — New Zealand's largest — producing premium T90 hop pellets, proprietary cryogenic Amplifire™ concentrates, and fresh hop oil across 1,350 acres and four farms, selling direct to global craft brewers via six regional warehouses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brewing Ingredients (Hops)

akta.pro primary industry

Hop Farming (AFAGAGAB)

Keywords

• Craft brewing ingredients
• Hop pellets
• Cryogenic hop processing
• Hop farming operations
• Brewers supply wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Tasman Region

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Hop Products — T90 Pellets, Amplifire Pellets, Amplifire Oil: Core revenue from selling processed hop products directly to craft brewers globally. Products include standard T90 hop pellets (made within 3-7 days of harvest), Amplifire concentrated lupulin pellets (cryogenically processed, up to 2x intensity of T90), and Amplifire fresh hop oil (water-soluble liquid extracted on harvest day). Products available across all hop varieties including Green Bullet™, Motueka™, Nelson Sauvin™, NZ Cascade™, NZ Rhapzody™, Pacific Sunrise™, Pacifica™, Rakau™, Riwaka™, Southern Cross™, and exclusive CIP varieties. Sold through direct e-commerce with regional warehouses in NZ, Australia (VIC and WA), UK, USA, and EU.
2. Yeast Products: Sale of craft brewing yeast strains sourced from WHC Lab (Ireland) and distributed in New Zealand and Australian markets. Yeast products include Saturated-Fruity NEIPA, LAX (West Coast IPA), Mango Madness (thermotolerant IPA), Einstein (German Lager), High Voltage (thermotolerant), British Pub Ale, Farmhouse Vibes (Saison), and Voss/Ragnar (Kveik). Sold alongside hop products as a complementary category to craft brewers.
3. Thiol Theory™ and Thiol-Infused Products: Sale of Thiol Theory™ — a concentrated powder product derived from Sauvignon Blanc grapes from New Zealand's Marlborough wine region, delivering beer-soluble thiol precursors that increase tropical aromas (gooseberry, passionfruit, guava) through fermentation. Also available as hop pellets and Amplifire pellets infused with Thiol Theory™.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Clayton Hops NZ is a vertically integrated hop grower and processor that grows hops on its own four Tasman-region farms and converts them into premium hop products for craft brewers worldwide. Its core product lines are T90 hop pellets (processed within 3-7 days of harvest for maximum freshness), Amplifire™ cryogenically concentrated lupulin pellets (patent-pending, up to twice as intense in resins and oils), and Amplifire™ fresh hop oil (water-soluble, no bitterness, extracted on harvest day). Products are sold in 11 hop varieties across six global warehouses, supported by dedicated B2B contract pricing.

Product overview

Clayton Hops NZ is a multi-product brewing ingredients company offering a portfolio of hop products and yeast strains. The core offering consists of T90 Hop Pellets processed within 3-7 days of harvest using their world-class facility. The company has developed the Amplifire™ advanced product range including concentrated lupulin pellets (Amplifire™ Pellets) and fresh hop oil extracts (Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil), which boost flavour, aroma and beer yields while reducing environmental footprint. These advanced products are differentiated from standard T90 pellets through patent-pending cryogenic processing that concentrates lupulin content. The product portfolio spans 11 hop varieties including exclusive varieties from the Clayton Innovation Project (NZ Rhapzody™, CIP 076), plus complementary yeast strains sourced from WHC Lab for the NZ and Australian brewing markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amplifire™: Advanced hop products range including concentrated lupulin pellets and fresh hop oil, designed to boost flavour, aroma and beer yields with reduced environmental impact.
• Clayton Innovation Project (CIP)
• Faster, Fresher, Better

Products and services

• T90 Hop Pellets Standard hop pellets made from kiln-dried whole hop cones, processed and packaged within 3-7 days of harvest in Clayton Hops' world-class Tasman-region facility. Available across NZ hop varieties (Green Bullet, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, NZ Cascade, Pacific Sunrise, Pacifica, Rakau, Riwaka, Southern Cross, NZ Rhapzody, CIP 076). Designed for craft brewers producing hop-forward beers.
• Amplifire™ Pellets Cryogenically concentrated lupulin pellets produced via a patent-pending process that separates lupulin from plant material in a nitrogen-rich, low-oxygen environment at extremely low temperatures. Up to twice as intense in resins and oils as T90 pellets, with reduced vegetal, grassy and astringent flavours and improved beer yields. Available across all NZ hop varieties.
• Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil Water-soluble, flowable liquid hop flavour and aroma product extracted from fresh whole hop cones on the same day of harvest using a solvent-free process. Free of bittering components and available in all hop varieties. Designed for dry hopping, brite tank additions and hop water; 100mL is said to equal approximately 5kg of T90 pellets.
• Brewing Yeast Strains High-quality dried brewing yeast strains sourced from WHC Lab (Ireland) and distributed in New Zealand and Australian markets. Includes strains suited for NEIPAs (Saturated-Fruity NEIPA), West Coast IPAs (LAX), thermotolerant IPAs (Mango Madness, High Voltage), German lagers (Einstein), British Pub Ale, Farmhouse Saison and Kveik (Voss/Ragnar).
• NZ Rhapzody™ (Hop Variety) Exclusive hop variety developed through the Clayton Innovation Project partnership with the Bioeconomy Science Institute, featuring high thiol precursors and tropical fruit flavours (passionfruit, mango, pineapple) with citrus notes. Versatile application in IPAs, Hazy IPAs, Pale Ales and Pilsners. Available in T90 pellet and Amplifire formats.
• CIP 076 (Hop Variety) Second commercial hop variety from the Clayton Innovation Project, bred from Saaz crossed with a NZ selection. Features intense ripe orange, peach, nectarine and mango character with earthy aroma and high oil content; suitable for hazy IPAs, pale ales and pilsners.
• NZ Hop Variety Range Portfolio of established NZ hop varieties sold as T90 pellets across all standard categories: Green Bullet™ (dual-purpose bittering/ale), Motueka™ (citrus/mojito lime), Nelson Sauvin™ (gooseberry/white wine), NZ Cascade™ (citrus/tropical), Pacific Sunrise™ (bittering with citrus/sweet fruit), Pacifica™ (floral/spice with citrus), Rakau™ (tropical fruit dual-purpose), Riwaka™ (~65 tonnes/year, passionfruit/citrussy), and Southern Cross™ (tropical/citrus/pine). Each variety is a distinct, named SKU with its own product page.
• Hop Product Samples Small-volume sample formats of T90 hop pellets, Amplifire™ Pellets and Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil offered through the online shop so brewers can trial and evaluate products before placing larger orders.

Quantifiable outcome

• T90 pellets processed and packaged within 3-7 days of harvest vs industry-standard months
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Bioeconomy Science Institute (formerly Plant & Food Research / Plant and Food Research Group)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023The Clayton Innovation Project (CIP) is a partnership between Clayton Hops and the Bioeconomy Science Institute (formerly known as Plant & Food Research, New Zealand's leading hop plant breeder) to develop and commercialise new hop varieties. The partnership evaluates hop selections for aroma/flavour via sensory and brew testing, unique characteristics and market suitability, and agronomic suitability (yield). Six advanced selections from the Plant & Food Research hop programme are being evaluated, with exclusive rights to commercialise. The first variety commercialised was NZ Rhapzody (formerly CIP 014) launched in early 2026. CIP 076 is also in the pipeline.
• WHC LabcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWHC Lab (Ireland) is the yeast partner of Clayton Hops, supplying high-quality dried brewing yeast strains for the NZ and Australian markets. WHC Lab's R&D laboratory uses next-generation methods to grow yeast and bacteria and perform analysis on beer, cider, spirits, water and wine. Clayton Hops distributes WHC Lab yeast products alongside their hop portfolio. Products include Saturated-Fruity NEIPA, LAX, Mango Madness, Einstein, High Voltage, British Pub Ale, Farmhouse Vibes, and Voss/Ragnar.
• BX (Environmental Farm Management Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationClayton Hops engaged BX (a leading independent environmental farm management platform based in London) to independently perform a carbon footprint study of their hop products in 2024. BX conducted the 2025 inaugural carbon footprint study measuring total greenhouse gas emissions across farm-level growing and harvesting, processing, packaging, and storage. Results showed T90 pellets at 3.75 kg CO2e per 100L of beer (including composting) or 3.18 kg CO2e (excluding composting). BX also measures and supports improvement of sustainability across Clayton Hops' farms, processing and hop products.
• Behemoth BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration partnership for fresh hop beer releases. Behemoth Brewing's founder Andrew Childs personally visits Clayton Hops' Battery Hill farm to hand-select fresh hops (e.g., 200kg of Nelson Sauvin for their Hop Brothers Fresh Hop IPA). The collaboration highlights the farm-to-brewery story and fresh hop brewing process, generating media coverage and brand awareness.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Charles Faram & Co: UK-based independent hop merchant with its own breeding program (Faram's). Comparable as a hop variety developer and supplier selling into UK, European, and global craft markets — overlapping on variety development and product innovation.
• Hopsteiner: Global hop grower, breeder, and supplier with operations in the US, Germany, and the UK. Offers processing innovations and proprietary varieties comparable to Clayton's Amplifire™ and Innovation Project programs — a multinational reference point at far larger scale.
• Yakima Chief Hops (YCH): World's largest hop processor and supplier, jointly owned by multiple farming families, serving global brewers with proprietary branded hop products (including cryogenic concentrated formats). Closest large-scale incumbent competitor and benchmark for Clayton's go-to-market model.
• John I. Haas: Global hop supplier and breeder offering aroma hops, hop extracts, and innovative hop products to brewers worldwide. Comparable to Clayton as a vertically integrated ingredient supplier selling advanced differentiated formats to major brewers.
• BarthHaas: Germany-based global hop supplier with breeding programs (e.g., Huell Melon, Mandarina Bavaria) and worldwide distribution. Comparable as a global hop product innovator with proprietary varieties serving craft and mainstream brewers.

Direct peers

• Hop Products Australia: Australia's leading hop grower and processor, operating similar vertically integrated farm-to-pellet operations and serving the same craft brewing customer base across Australia and global export markets. Most comparable Southern Hemisphere peer to Clayton.
• Crosby Hops: Independent US-based hop grower and merchant focused on craft brewers with proprietary hop products. Comparable as a craft-focused grower-processor with branding emphasis, although serving North American accounts from US-origin acreage.
• NZ Hops Ltd: The New Zealand hop grower cooperative that historically dominated NZ hop exports. Directly comparable as a New Zealand-origin grower-processor serving the same global craft brewer base with overlapping varieties such as Nelson Sauvin and Motueka — making it Clayton's most direct domestic competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clayton-hops-nz

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clayton Hops NZ