Wellington girls are classier. Yeah, right.

Tui says the brewery girls, regardless of origin, are gorgeous. Photo / Rotorua Daily Post

A Manawatu businessman who hired Tui's famous Mangatainoka brewery for a work function says he was offered a choice: would his guests like their beer served by local "Tui girls" in their tight shorts, or would he prefer the more expensive option of models from the capital?

Generally, the brewery charges out the leggy Tui girls at $30 an hour each. But for $35, said Miss Tui 2006 Tina Rowe, you could get the more "striking" Wellington models.

Tui spokeswoman Hailey Bloore said Wellington models were paid more because they were hired through a modelling agency and because they travelled further.

Well-plucked eyebrows have been raised in the Manawatu and northern Wairarapa after the businessman phoned to book the big brick brewery, 35 minutes' drive away.

He found it noteworthy, he said, that two types of girls could be hired: local ones, or the more expensive imports from Wellington.

"I did not question why, but I thought... what are the local girls like then?"

Being a staunch supporter of the local economy, and a prudent businessman, in a time of economic restraint he, of course, opted for the cheaper girls - and said they were fine.

Tui's website promises that brewery girls can be "coaxed off the line" for $30 an hour, to make your party a little more special.

Indeed, Tui's head brewer, 28-year-old Kylie Harris, fits the age and gender demographic of a Tui girl, but she certainly doesn't don skimpy shorts to pour beer at parties.

In reality, and this should surprise only the most credulous, the long-legged "Tui girls" do not brew beer, fill kegs and drive trucks like those in the television advertisement. Most of them have day jobs in the big smoke.

And Bloore said the businessman must have been offered the choice of girls by mistake, as generally the decision was made according to who was available.

"All of our Tui brewery girls are gorgeous," she said.

"Whether they are from Palmerston North or Wellington is irrelevant to us, it's just about who's available to be at the brewery.

"Occasionally we have requests from people coming out from Wellington who say they'd like Wellington girls, but that's pretty rare."

But this weekend, Palmerston North Mayor Jono Naylor stuck up for his local womenfolk. Anybody who thought they were "doing better" by opting for the Wellington girls "obviously hasn't seen our local girls", he said.

"Everything in this region is better, including the women," he insisted. "We have gorgeous women. You can't beat 'em".

Tina Rowe, from Elevator Events in Wellington, said she sometimes found brewery girls for Tui, mostly using Wellington models hired out at $35 an hour.

Asked if the Wellington girls were "more pretty", Rowe was frank: "Yes, to be completely honest... there are some striking girls in Wellington."

She made sure she always used the more experienced models for big promotions, events or advertisements.

"They are more stunning, absolutely," she said.

"I would source most of them out of Welly, to be honest, because there's a bigger pool."

On the other hand, Tui Breweries manager Jo Hurst, who books many of the events there, said she more often used local girls to save money on transport costs for Wellington girls.

Besides, she said, the locals were "pretty good", comparing well with the Wellington models.

"Guys are looking at their legs anyway," she quipped.

"We don't put any ugly ones out there, if that is what you're asking."

The public would be naive to think the Tui girls were brewers, Hurst said.

So what does make a good Tui girl?

Hurst said anyone who had a gorgeous figure, could wear short shorts, and who was outgoing and bubbly. "Big boobs are not necessary."