The Jolly Fat Bavarian

[bigjim]

I've been looking for a suitable photo to use on here for some time and was amazed to see this jolly looking chap at a car boot and instantly recognised him as our very own and infamous 'man in t' box.' Does anyone remember these china chaps being on the bar in Sam Smiths pubs in days gone by? I've not seen this item before. Is he rare?

PS Since posting I think I've partly answered my question by looking at the photos Ian has taken of the Rose and Crown at Driffield. This non Samuel Smith pub clearly has one of the original 'Man in t' Box' on the bar and you can clearly see that my china chap fits neatly inside the box. It seems I just need a box for my collection now.

[ian]

Here's another photo for you drool over bigjim.

[ian]

Bigjim says The Jolly Fat Bavarian, but is he from Germany? I was told a bit back that he is/was one of the workers at taddy. So maybe it should be called, The Jolly Fat Tadcasterian?

ian.

[antthe2nd]

yes thats right ,and he still sups around leeds

[alepaul]

Isn't it something to do with Ayingerbrau - old name for Alpine? I think I remember hearing something about it being brewed under license from a brewery in Bavaria

[passedit]

On our training at Taddy we were shown a video of this guy at his brewery in Bavaria,and i,m sure it was the guy in the box.by the way I had 2 of these boxe,s one I gave to a customer,s daughter,the box had a big crack in it the other I still have in perfect condition.

[bigjim]

You know guys this is one of the things I really love about this forum and the whole Sam Smiths saga! On the one hand we have the guy not being Bavarian at all, but from Taddy and still supping around Leeds, and on the other based in Bavaria at the brewery. It's the same with almost everything - we heard Humphrey's bank had told him to stop spending, then he buys a further huge chunk of Tadcaster. We're told the cider is made by Westons, but then on the other hand it's done in-house at Tadcaster. If he has a sense of humour he must laugh a lot.

[Milton]

On our training at Taddy we were shown a video of this guy at his brewery in Bavaria,and i,m sure it was the guy in the box.by the way I had 2 of these boxe,s one I gave to a customer,s daughter,the box had a big crack in it the other I still have in perfect condition.

A manager did tell me once that on their training video, they showed a picture of the chairman of the Ayinger brewery, and so apparently the man in the box/Alpine lager logo is a caricature of this gentleman dressed in traditional Alpine costume...have never seen the video so cannot verify, if someone's able to sneak a copy and post on Youtube, then by all means go ahead...

[passedit]

Yes bigjim must agree with you there are alway,s plenty of variation,s on a lot of topic.s.

[OnTheDrink]

Isn't it something to do with Ayingerbrau - old name for Alpine? I think I remember hearing something about it being brewed under license from a brewery in Bavaria

Used to be brewed under license from Ayinger Brau of Munich http://en.ayinger-bier.de/?pid=263 which is one of the best the area has, but in 2006 the arrangement seemed to terminate, seemingly because Hump decided to change the recipe very slightly and saw no need to license it any more. Years ago I was on a trade visit to the brewery and the brewing staff were immensely proud of replicating a genuine german bier, using imported Hallertau hops, albeit in pellet form, and told me that as part of the license an Ayinger brewer would travel to Tadcaster annually to check the quality!  The wheat beer is also very similar to the Ayinger Weisse, and even the glasses are almost the same.  Sams also used to do Ayingerbrau D pils at 6.2%, and Ayingerbrau Pils which was 5%. Neither were anywhere near as good as the basic lager.

[ian]

Non-members can see a photo of the Jolly Fat Bavarian or is it Tadcasterian on..................

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2387226

ian

[alepaul]

You know guys this is one of the things I really love about this forum and the whole Sam Smiths saga! On the one hand we have the guy not being Bavarian at all, but from Taddy and still supping around Leeds, and on the other based in Bavaria at the brewery. It's the same with almost everything - we heard Humphrey's bank had told him to stop spending, then he buys a further huge chunk of Tadcaster. We're told the cider is made by Westons, but then on the other hand it's done in-house at Tadcaster. If he has a sense of humour he must laugh a lot.

Maybe I'm being slow here but I don't really see what the confusion is:
Lager - based on a Bavarian beer (Ayinger) and a typical Bavarian man but now licensing agreement has come to an end comes under Sam Smith's name
Cider - made by Sam Smiths
brewery's bank balance - no idea what's going on there but not sure I want to know either!

Maybe it's better to question where you're getting your info from because it doesn't sound hugely reliable to me 

[DarkieBoy]

I've been looking for a suitable photo to use on here for some time and was amazed to see this jolly looking chap at a car boot and instantly recognised him as our very own and infamous 'man in t' box.' Does anyone remember these china chaps being on the bar in Sam Smiths pubs in days gone by? I've not seen this item before. Is he rare?

PS Since posting I think I've partly answered my question by looking at the photos Ian has taken of the Rose and Crown at Driffield. This non Samuel Smith pub clearly has one of the original 'Man in t' Box' on the bar and you can clearly see that my china chap fits neatly inside the box. It seems I just need a box for my collection now.

bigjim, can I ask how much it cost you?

DB.

[bigjim]

My jolly Bavarian cost me ?3.50 - but sadly no box.

[DarkieBoy]

Not bad at twice the price.

DB.