A brewery that has teamed up with its competitors to buck the current trend of pub closures has won a major national award for its farsightedness.

Everards of Leicestershire were last night (Monday 13 October) named overall champions in the 2008 Brewing Business Awards, organised by SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers, and contested by breweries throughout the British Isles.

Roger Protz, chairman of the judges, with Nick Arthur (left) and David Harrison from Everards Brewery

The winning project involves Everards, established in 1849, collaborating with newer and smaller brewers to reopen pubs that have closed down or put new life into pubs that have fallen on hard times. Everards provide the money to buy and refurbish the pubs and their new partners take over the running of them.

Nationally, it is estimated that five pubs are closing down permanently every day but Everards pointed out that 70 new breweries had opened in the past two years, drinkers were actively seeking local products and the demand for real ale was growing.

So far, they have joined forces with three rival breweries — near neighbours Steaming Billy of Oadby, Titanic of Stoke-on-Trent and Ashover in Derbyshire — to regenerate five pubs. A further four revamps are planned in partnership with four separate brewers.

In all of the first five cases, ales from both Everards and their new partners are on sale side by side on the bar, the name of the smaller brewery appears prominently on the outside of the pub and takings have risen to as much as £8,000 a week.

The judges, chaired by Good Beer Guide editor Roger Protz, said the scheme “tears up the old stereotypes that have entrenched a them-and-us attitude” between established regional brewers and small independent companies.

“Everards have demonstrated that there is at least one way for supposed rivals in the market place to grow their businesses in harmony,” the judges add. “It is little wonder that the historic Leicester brewer has reported such positive feedback to this farsighted innovation.

“The judges felt they could not overemphasise the importance of this initiative to the independent brewing industry.”

Everards were presented with the overall championship award by Roger Protz at a ceremony at the Institute of Directors in London last night. Their entry also won the prize for best innovation and they received a separate award for the best use of electronic media with a website that gives customers an opportunity to sign up as brewery agents and report on their experiences in the company’s pubs.

The 1,200 registered customers, who receive vouchers in return for their efforts, use a codename and do not identify themselves in the pubs. Their opinions help pubs to see where they are doing well or could do better, and Everards say the scheme has been well received by the licensees

For the full list of results go to http://www.siba.co.uk/awards

Microbrewers enjoyed growth in sales of almost 11 per cent in 2007, according to the Local Beer Report 2008 published this week by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).

The report shows that despite a challenging beer market SIBA members have hit annual retail sales of £320m.

The report says: “Against the background of the most challenging year for beer retailing for decades, the continued strong growth of demand for local beer is spectacular. Counter to the trends of a market which saw consumption decline across many beer types, the average volume growth in sales of local beer was 10.7 per cent.”

SIBA chief executive Julian Grocock said: “There is an accelerating consumer movement towards principled and ethical purchasing, and buying local is taking precedence even over Fairtrade or organic.

“It shows how in tune local brewers are with current market trends, and how well placed they are to exploit market opportunities.”

The report also points out high levels of achievement by SIBA members – the Champion Beer of Britain came from a society member – and SIBA members also won five out of the 12 categories in the International Beer Challenge.

This is the sixth annual report on the industry from SIBA, which represents more than 400 brewers ranging from long-established regional companies to small businesses supplying local pubs, off-licences and farmers’ markets.

Grocock also praised the positive impact of Progressive Beer Duty (PBD) on the market. He said he was able to report “judicious investment in the fabric of businesses, including further employment creation”, thanks to the tax break.

PBD has come under fire in the past from larger regional brewers for allegedly fuelling huge discounting by microbrewers.

Taken from: www.thepublican.com
By Adam Withrington

In 2007 locally brewed beers saw an average volume growth of 10.7% year-on-year, despite being sold in just four in 10 pubs.

This compared with a decline in overall beer sales during the same period of 6%.

SIBA figures show that locally brewed beers have outperformed total beer volumes since 2004, which marks the point total beer volumes in the on-trade entered decline.

The report claims that the introduction of cask ales can increase total beer sales by as much as 20% when compared with pubs that don’t stock local beers.

SIBA also found that more than a quarter of pubs (29%) that do stock local brews price them at an average 6% to 7% premium over their usual cask ale.

“Limited availability has traditionally been the biggest threat to the continued progress of local beer,” the report states.

“The high concentration of ownership of the UK on-trade has long meant that market access is our members’ biggest issue. Progress is being made as seen but availability of local beer in the on-trade is restricted.”

In recent months the decline in overall beer sales appears to have increased markedly with the British Beer & Pub Association reporting a 9.7% year-on-year decline in November on the back of a 7.7% fall in October 2007 and an 8.2% drop in September 2007.

Taken from: www.caterersearch.com
By Christopher Walton