Goose Island president reveals plans to perfect pub models in UK

By James Wallin, MCA

- Last updated on GMT

Stout: move into pubs had been prompted by the increasing importance of  experiential side of food and drink
Stout: move into pubs had been prompted by the increasing importance of experiential side of food and drink

Related tags Goose island Beer

Ken Stout, president of Goose Island, has told MCA that the brand’s first European pub – in Balham – has highlighted differences in beer tastes across the pond.

The Vintage Ale House opened in Ramsden Road at the end of last year and Stout said while it was still too early to draw firm conclusions, the sales of the group’s vintage ales, such as Sofie, Halia, Madame Rose and Matilda, had been lower than expected with a greater focus on its core brands, such as its IPA.

He said the plan was to perfect the offer across the three Goose Island pub models in sites already open or in planning then seek to replicate the success across the world.

He also gave his views on what UK brewers and pub operators can learn from the American beer industry and talked about the criticisms the group received after being taken over by AB Inbev.

Model behaviour

Goose Island currently has three pub models:

1. Goose Island Brew House – a full service restaurant and brewing operation, featuring house made beers as well as ‘core’ Goose Island beers.

2. Goose Island Pub – a full service pub and restaurant, serving a full range of Goose Island beers, but none produced on site.

3. Goose Island Vintage Ale House – a smaller physical footprint, featuring small plate culinary options, along with an emphasis on ‘Vintage Ales’. Stout said: “We think that these beers really allow us to show the versatility of flavors in the beer world, and the ability of beer to pair with food in ways that no other beverage can”.

There are currently bars in London, Sao Paolo, Seoul, Shanghai and Monterrey, Mexico as well as the US.

Stout will be the keynote speaker at MCA’s Managed Pub Conference on 20 June at the HAC in London​. The conference will focus on the theme of the continuing relevance of the pub in the face of changing consumer demand. Other speakers will include Generation Z expert, Chloe Combi; Revolution Bars Group chief executive Mark McQuater; City Pub Company chairman Clive Watson and Ei Group commercial director, Paul Harbottle. To see the full agenda, click here​.

For ticket information, please contact Yasmine.Soopramanien@wrbm.com

Smell, touch and taste

Stout said the move into pubs had been prompted by the increasing importance of the experiential side of food and drink. He added: “Having a touch point where beer lovers can see, smell, touch and taste Goose Island beer with great food is how we’re attempting to stay connected with beer lovers. Magazine and radio ads just don’t cut it in today’s world.”

He said that while the group was keen to add further sites in London there were no imminent plans.

He said: “Overall, the London operation has been well received on both the beer and food fronts. One learning so far is that the ratio of our Vintage Ale sales have been lower than we projected, with a higher percentage going to our ‘core’ brands (IPA, Green Line, Four Star Pils, 312). Also, it appears that beer lovers in England pay more attention to ABV levels than their Yankee cousins. It’s very important to make sure we always have more than a few beer selections in the 4-5% ABV range.

International plans

On the ultimate international plans for the pub estate, he said: “Well, very simply, to establish a strong record of success in the properties that are already open or in planning. Then, to strategically figure out where we can replicate the success. Optimally, the success in the three different concepts will also have a positive ripple effect in the respective overall markets.”

On lessons the UK can take from the craft beer success story in the US: “Avoid snobbishness! Beer is such a versatile beverage, fitting for almost any occasion. Especially now with the rediscovery of anachronistic beer styles, and the all of the innovation in brewing, there is a beer and corresponding flavor profile which is far more wide reaching than say, twenty years ago. Beer brings people together. Let’s keep it that way.”

Craft beer future

On the future for craft beer, Stout said: “At Goose Island, we don’t consider ourselves to be craft brewers. We’re brewers, plain and simply. Any other designation we find to be arbitrary and not necessarily good for the beer industry overall. We are lovers of great beer, and have too high of a regard for the art and science of brewing, and for brewers, to get caught up in semantic in-fighting.

On the criticism received when the company was acquired by AB InBev in 2011, he said: “It was very challenging at first to deal with all of the antagonism, and some of it still surfaces today. But, we’ve stayed away from allowing anyone to pull us into internecine quarrelling. Instead, we concentrate on continuously improving the quality of our beer, creatively and tastefully introduce new beers, and present them in a way which we think most beer lovers will appreciate.”

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