Thomas Müller Becomes the New Brand Ambassador for ERDINGER Weissbräu

When two Bavarian icons come together, goosebumps are guaranteed, and this will be the case when football star Thomas Müller becomes the new brand ambassador for the private brewery ERDINGER Weissbräu on 1st January 2026. 

Hailing from the Alpine foothills, south of Munich, Müller embodies the friendly and no-nonsense approach of the unmistakable Bavarian way of life like no other. These are values that fit perfectly with ERDINGER: inspiring people and spreading the traditional joie de vivre the region is known for.

"With Thomas Müller, we have gained not only an exceptional athlete, but a true legend. He stands for authenticity, down-to-earthness, team spirit and passion. These are precisely the values that have always characterised ERDINGER. Together, we will launch unforgettable initiatives and create powerful, emotional campaigns," Dr. Stefan Kreisz, spokesperson for the management of ERDINGER Weissbräu, to That's Food and Drink.

Thomas Müller is also looking forward to the partnership with great anticipation: “For me, ERDINGER is more than just a brewery. It is a Bavarian cultural asset, representing the pure joy of life and is a piece of home. I am really looking forward to this partnership and am proud to join the ranks of well-known ERDINGER advertising campaigns.”

Müller's sporting career is as impressive as it is unique: a 2014 World Cup winner, he has achieved numerous German championships with FC Bayern Munich, personal awards, and top rankings in the FIFA Ballon d'Or. 

He has long since reached legendary status in German football and is now causing great excitement at his new club, the Vancouver Whitecaps. Against the backdrop of the 2026 World Cup in North America, his international commitment gives ERDINGER Weissbräu's global presence a new boost, especially in Canada and the USA. 

But fans in other countries also have something to look forward to with planned campaigns expected to attract attention in restaurants, off-licences and on social media – naturally with the typical blend of humour and tongue-in-cheek wit that connects Thomas Müller and ERDINGER.

The appointment of Müller as ambassador follows the successful partnership the brand achieved with Jürgen Klopp which immortalised the phrases 'Never Skim an ERDINGER' and 'Don't forget the Best Bit'.

Matthews Cotswold Flour Introduces Rich Payne as Its First Pizza Ambassador

Matthews Cotswold Flour is pleased to announce the appointment of Rich Payne as its first ever Pizza Ambassador. 

Renowned for his pizza passion via his Instagram account, Dough and Behold, Rich inspires bakers and food enthusiasts worldwide. 

Rich's innovative, creative approach and obsession of perfecting the art of pizza aligns perfectly with Matthews Cotswold Flour's dedication to crafting quality ingredients and love of baking.

Rich's baking journey began in his mid-20s when he turned his hand to baking bread.His passion ignited further when he bought an Ooni 3 pizza oven in 2017 and his quest for creating the ultimate Neapolitan-style pizza began. 

Back in 2017 he began documenting his journey through his Instagram handle @dough_and_behold as he became absorbed in watching tutorials to hone his craft, connect with baking communities around the globe and experiment with techniques. 

Through his role as a Pizza Ambassador, Rich will share his tips and techniques with home bakers all over the country.

He believes that baking should always be fun and that failure is simply part of the learning process. “I'm not an expert, and I don't claim to be. I love to experiment, sometimes fail, and then share those experiences with the community,” he says. 

“For me, baking is about discovery, joy, and sharing the excitement when something amazing happens, whether it's a successful loaf or a bubbling focaccia. Even now I can't quite believe how my life has been changed thanks to flour, water, salt and yeast!”

Bertie Matthews, MD of Matthews Cotswold Flour adds, “We're delighted to have Rich Payne on board as our Pizza Ambassador and look forward to the knowledge, passion, and energy he will bring. His authentic approach and love for creating delicious, homemade pizzas will inspire bakers everywhere to reach for the best ingredients and enjoy the process of pizza making as much as the end result.”

Rich draws inspiration from his background in visual effects, applying the same learnings to pizza making. “I think of pizza as a colour wheel, looking for colours that complement each other, and then matching ingredients to those colours. It's a visual process that guides my recipe development.”

He goes on to say: “For me, baking and pizza making should always be fun. I will never, ever, not get excited about a steaming hot pizza coming out of an oven, lifting the lid of a combi cooker on a loaf of sourdough and gasping at either the success or failure, or flicking a focaccia bubble and popping it with your finger! It's all good, all of it. There are of course rules to learn, but you can have great fun testing them out, too!”

Q&A with Rich Payne

Favourite flour?

“My go-to flour for pizza is Matthews Cotswold Pizza Flour. It's a dream for creating lively, puffy and pillowy dough. Whether I'm making a classic pizza or focaccia, it always delivers a great result. I'm always experimenting and this flour gives me the flexibility to create doughs that are both full of flavour and visually stunning.”

Top tip for making the best pizza?

“Time is vital. Good dough needs proper fermentation. I spent years rushing through dough recipes, but now I know the magic happens when you let it rest and develop overnight. I always encourage people to make their dough on Friday night – by Saturday afternoon or evening, you'll have pizza dough that's truly special.”

What's one ingredient or tool in your kitchen you can't live without? 

“Salt, I love salt so much. I hold back adding it to meals as I cook them, just so I can add copious amounts on top once I've made them. Olive oil, good olive oil is essential and since turning 50 I absolutely have a tablespoon every day! Is it working? I'm not sure. Tool-wise? It has to be my pizza dough spatula. I'm lost without it.” 

Recipes:-

The Buffalo Mozzarella Deluxe Pizza

By Rich Payne

Makes: 4 x 275g dough balls

Prep Time: 20 hours (based on method below)

Bake Time: 60-70 seconds @430°C in a pizza oven

Ingredients

655g Cotswold Pizza Flour

425g water (65% hydration)

20g salt (3%)

0.64g fresh yeast (or Instant Dried Yeast 0.3g)

Mutti Polpa tomato sauce

Grana Padano, for grating

Basil leaves

Fresh mozzarella

Fresh red and green Jalapeno peppers

Olive oil, for drizzling

Dough Method

This recipe follows a 20-hour fermentation process at room temperature - around 21°C. The method below assumes you start at 5pm the day before to bake at 1pm the following day.

Add all the flour into a mixing bowl (using a food mixer). Add 80% of your water to the bowl. Crumble the fresh yeast into the bowl (or use dried yeast). Turn your mixer on to a slow speed and mix until there are no dry bits. Add a little more water if necessary, but not all of it yet.

Once there are no dry bits, cover the bowl and rest for 30-45 minutes. This allows the dough to absorb the water and helps gluten develop. After the rest, add the salt and the remaining water into the mixer. Mix at a slow speed until combined, then increase the speed for 1-2 minutes until the dough becomes smooth. Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

After resting, mix the dough for another minute. If the dough feels smooth, remove it from the mixer. If the dough is still a bit lumpy, rest and repeat the process until it becomes smooth. Once the dough is smooth, transfer it to a clean work surface and gently shape it into a ball.

Use a dough scraper to create surface tension and shape the dough into a tight ball. Place the dough ball in a lightly oiled container with a lid. Leave it to bulk prove at room temperature overnight (15 hours).

The next morning (8am), turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide it into 4 x 275g dough balls. Shape each ball into a tight, smooth ball by folding the dough into itself several times. Place the dough balls into a lightly oiled breakfast bowl or small dough tray and cover with cling film (or silicone covers for a more eco-friendly option).

Let the dough balls rest at room temperature for another 5 hours, or you can leave them overnight for an even longer rest. Both methods work well.

Making the pizza

Stretch the first dough ball to around 10 inches in diameter. Add toppings - spread a layer of tomato sauce. Grate a little Grana Padano over the sauce. Tear a few fresh basil leaves and sprinkle them on top. Add slices of fresh mozzarella. Slice up some fresh red and green Jalapeno peppers and scatter them over the pizza. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top.

Bake in a pizza oven at 430°C for 60-70 seconds or until the crust is golden and bubbly.

While the pizza is still steaming hot, quickly tear a ball of Buffalo Mozzarella into smaller pieces and add it to the pizza. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

The Buffalo mozzarella will melt slightly, adding an extra creamy, soft texture to the pizza.

https://cotswoldflour.com

Erdinger Forges Partnership With the Anfield Wrap for Next Phase of Consumer Campaign Featuring Jürgen Klopp

The deal with award-winning fan media organisation, The Anfield Wrap, sees ERDINGER Weissbräu as the lead partner of their new five-episode documentary series named 'JÜRGEN'.

JÜRGEN includes 35 feature-length, one on one interviews from across four different countries with The Anfield Wrap speaking to those who know the German manager best, including Steven Gerrard, Adam Lallana, Sir Kenny Dalglish and many others close to him. 

The first three episodes were released before Christmas in the domestic football void created by the World Cup, and a further two will be released in March.

Felix Durchdewald, Head of Sales & Marketing at ERDINGER Weissbräu said “Since Jürgen Klopp was announced as an ERDINGER ambassador in 2020, the association between the two has become firmly established. Many consumers have been engrossed in the campaign that has encouraged people to 'Never Skim an ERDINGER' and not to forget the 'Best Bit' and this has translated to robust sales in both on and off-trade.

“The campaign has highlighted ERDINGER Weissbräu's pursuit of quality, driven awareness of the ideal pour for a wheat beer and has contributed to ERDINGER being named #1 imported wheat beer in the UK off-trade” said Felix.

“With the playful instructions shared by Jürgen and his enthusiastic bartenders in the original adverts a team of new fans have taken the beer and its perfect pour, including swirling the bottle to collect all the yeast before pouring, to their hearts. A new pack format of 4x330ml bottles has been introduced into the UK with the original listing in Sainsburys now extended to selected Tesco stores from March 2023.

 This follows achieving #1 status in rate of sale in their respective off-trade categories for ERDINGER Weissbier and Alkoholfrei, with the former gaining most share in the speciality beer category.  

“The partnership with The Anfield Wrap is a perfect match that sees the two businesses align with Jürgen, with all three being driven by passion, determination and a desire for success. The level of perfection and passion that The Anfield Wrap has shown in producing this docuseries correlates very closely with how ERDINGER Weissbräu produces its beers.”

Craig Hannan, Head of Brand and Marketing at The Anfield Wrap, said: “This is The Anfield Wrap's most ambitious work yet and we were only ever interested in working with a partner that aligned with the project and our brand. ERDINGER Weissbräu ticks those boxes.

“From the strategy to the creative, everything within this project has been produced in-house at The Anfield Wrap. But having the support of ERDINGER Weissbräu helps scale up our plans and ideas and we are really excited about what we're about to achieve with them, both in the UK and across the world as there is a real synergy between both brands.”

ERDINGER branding features on all five episodes of the new documentary series and the brands will work together on brand marketing activity and collaborative events in England and Germany.

https://uk.erdinger.de.