BEER: VIEWPOINT

Question: Is genuine provenance important to the success of a beer brand?

Sudarghara Dusanj
Joint MD,
Cains Brewery

“Genuine provenance should be one of the major concerns of any regional brewery.

So many mass- produced beers are sold in the UK. But engaging consumers with information about quality ingredients and painting a picture about how they are used to craft your product makes the brand stand out. UK consumers have such an array of choice that you need to give them a compelling reason to try your beer.

A desire for quality food and drink is why organic products and initiatives such as farmers’ markets have proved so popular in recent years – a certain type of consumer no longer wants ‘mass produced’.

With the explosion in the wine industry over the past decade, people have become accustomed to understanding where a bottle of Chardonnay or Claret comes from. Producers and retailers cleverly simplified label information while using the wine’s provenance to paint a picture of the product’s heritage. Now consumers are far more knowledgeable about the winemaking regions and what makes certain types of wine unique.

Cains has always strived to do this with its beers so that we are associated with quality. For example, the Maris Otter hops used for our Finest Lager are the best you can buy – which makes them expensive. We also insisted on making the lager in a centuries-old way, maturing it for a full three months to ensure the flavour comes through. All of this is pointless if you don’t make a point of letting the consumer know the provenance of the product.

Cains wants to be known for quality and people understand that we go to the trouble of sourcing the finest ingredients for anything we brew. Once they understand that, they get a feel for our brand.”

Dave Smith
Beer buyer,
Booths Supermarkets

“I think people are starting to appreciate genuine beers and are taking note of where and how they are brewed. It’s not just the real ale enthusiasts that are interested in the beers. The good news is there’s a growing group of beer drinkers in the UK who expect the same experience they have of drinking authentic beers abroad when they return to the UK from their travels. They look for taste and quality and are not afraid of trying new lagers and beers.

We already stock an extensive range of beers including Kenyan beers, Shanghai beer imported directly from China and a chilli beer from Arizona. It’s important for us to keep up to date with the latest holiday destinations in order for us to extend and develop that range.

The demand for genuine imported beers was clear when we ran a promotion throughout all our stores during the World Cup. It showcased one of the most comprehensive genuine World Cup beer lists, comprising beers brewed and bottled from participating world cup countries. During the promotion, sales of genuine imported beer increased by 20%.

I do believe the provenance of a beer helps with its success in the marketplace. With opportunities to travel to more adventurous places becoming more accessible than ever, there will undoubtedly be more demand for the genuine beer.”

Simon Edwards
Marketing director,
Cobra Beer

“The importance of provenance was something we had to consider at great length before moving our brewing facilities in 1997 from Bangalore in India to Bedford. It was a real dilemma for us because Cobra Beer had been growing very quickly and was proving very popular with consumers. The last thing we wanted to do was to jeopardise our growth if provenance was a major motivation for purchase.

We carried out extensive market research among beer drinkers before taking a decision and found that the most important thing to Cobra Beer drinkers was the taste and character of our less gassy and extra smooth lager. And so, with that in mind, we were convinced that we could move the brewing to the UK. That said we are very proud of Cobra’s Indian heritage and Karan Bilimoria’s intention was always to brew Cobra in India again. This happened in 2005 when we signed up with the Mount Shivalik Group and began brewing in Rajasthan for the Indian market.

In fact, in many ways Cobra cannot be separated from its Indian heritage – certainly not just by moving where it is brewed. Today Cobra is still brewed to the same authentic Indian recipe in the UK, Poland and in India once more, where it all started in 1989. Cobra’s foundation in the UK’s Indian restaurants is another reason there will forever be a strong Indian association.

The continued success of leading global beer brands illustrates that where a beer is brewed is not overly important to most consumers. However, it would be wrong to completely dismiss the importance of provenance as some brands use it very effectively in their marketing, for example, Budweiser Budvar. But in our opinion and that of our consumers, it’s not as important to drinkers as the taste of the beer.”

© db November 2006