World Beers Defying the Slump

September 2009

Nick Yates has written a really excellent piece in this week's The Publican, addressing the issue of which specialist and world beers bars should consider stocking, especially in the current economic climate.

The article sets the tone with the simple fact that lager (always the staple of the on-trade) has seen sales fall by around 10% in the last year compared with the same 12 month period - a damning fact indeed.

Conversely, world beers are still growing their market share. What pubs, bars and restaurants must do, points out Nick, is choose which brands they should stock to suit their clientele.

John Littleton, Business Development Director of brewing giant Miller Brands adds weight to the arguement: “Getting a world beer range right is about the fundamentals of marketing. Think of product, brand, your pricing strategy and how you are promoting the brand. And put effort into explaining to customers how fantastic beer is, the same you would into wine.”

As a footnote to the article, Philippe Hayeung, General Manager at the Riverside in Vauxhall adds: “World beers have an interesting story to tell, be it their heritage or where they come from. Increasingly, customers want to know more about the authenticity and background of these beers.”

This is a very good article and well worth a read.

If you'd like to find out how we can help you with your speciality beer offering, contact James Clay on 01422 377 560