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Beer fans can now identify true independent breweries
Beer drinkers can now discover which beers are from independent breweries in pubs, bars, and shops, thanks to the new Indie Beer campaign.
The campaign, launched by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), includes a brewery checker so that consumers can find out if a brewer is independently owned, and an assured mark for brewers to use to show their genuine craft credentials.
According to SIBA statistics, the issue isn’t demand for independent beer, but getting access to the market and ensuring genuine independent beer is being sold to beer drinkers.
New YouGov data published this week found that 75% of people surveyed believe consumers are being misled when purchasing beer from once independent craft breweries, such as Beavertown, Camden, and Fullers that are now owned by global beer giants Heineken, Budweiser and Asahi respectively.
People were shown images of five beers from once-independent breweries that have been bought-out by global beer companies; Beavertown Neck Oil (Heineken), Fullers London Pride (Asahi), Camden Hells (Budweiser), Brixton Reliance Pale Ale (Heineken), and Sharp’s Doom Bar (Molson Coors). When informed that these breweries were actually owned by global companies and not independent, 75% of people surveyed said they felt consumers were being misled, with the figure for the beer drinkers surveyed even higher at 81% who believe consumers are being misled.
SIBA chief executive Andy Slee explained: “People want to support smaller independent businesses, but when buying these beers they’re actually spending their money with global beer giants.”
The results of the research also showed that consumers generally were more likely to think global-owned brands were actually independent, with Beavertown Neck Oil the global-owned brand people surveyed were most likely to think was produced by an independent craft brewery. 40% of people surveyed thought Neck Oil was independent – higher than genuinely independent breweries such as Vocation, Fyne Ales and Five Points.
Slee explained: “Support for local independent brewers has never been stronger and in 2024 we’ve seen independent brewing volumes return to pre-Covid levels. Between them, independent brewers employ 10,000 people, run over 2,000 pubs, bars and taprooms and pay millions in taxes here in the UK. They are a force for good in the local communities they represent and it’s essential global beer companies are not taking credit for the hard work of true independent brewers.”
Speaking in support of the initiative, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) chairman, Ash Corbett-Collins, said: “We know that finding independent and local beer is often a top priority for our members and beer drinkers across the UK. Unfortunately, we often see global brewers market their own brands as if they were independent, tricking consumers in the process. It is vital that consumers have access to the right information about where their beer is being brewed, and whether it’s in independent ownership.”
The research was commissioned by SIBA as part of the launch of their ‘Indie Beer’ mark, which will be used on beer pump clips, cans and bottle labels to identify beers as being produced by a genuine UK independent brewery. The campaign also includes a new ‘beer checker’ tool via indiebeer.uk which allows people to check who owns the brewery from which they’re drinking.
Slee observed how “there is more choice than ever when buying beer, but it can be really hard to know what’s the real deal – so we have launched the Indie Beer checker to make it really quick and simple for people to see whether the beer they’re buying is brewed by a genuine independent brewer or actually owned by a global beer giant. You can also look for the Indie Beer logo when buying beer, which can only be used by genuine independents.”
The Indie Beer campaign is open to all independent UK breweries and is supported by consumer and industry organisations representing the beer and pub sector, including; Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), British Institute of Innkeepers (Bii), and the Independent Family Brewers of Britain (IFBB).
Cloudwater owner and managing director Paul Jones said: “Independent businesses are the lifeblood of thriving local economies. Clearly identifying authentic and independent breweries will help consumers make the choices they want to ensure their money stays in their local area, and continues to fund innovation and to build a stronger future for British beer.”
Thornbridge Brewery CEO Simon Webster agreed that the campaign is “a great way of showing just who is actually independent and Elusive Brewery owner Andy Parker highlighted how “with the branding and marketing lines being increasingly blurred to present global brands as artisan products, looking out for the Indie Beer mark will be a simple but effective way to know you’re buying from an independent business”.
Already, more than two hundred of SIBA’s member breweries have now actively enrolled in the campaign and will be adding the Indie Beer mark to their bottles, cans, and pub pump clips, with hundreds more to join in coming months.
For more information visit www.indiebeer.uk
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