Licensees rapped over beer quality
Interbrew chief says nation's pubs are failing to 'wow' customers
Interbrew UK has called for a major improvement in the way retailers and brewers serve and market beer as part of its annual Market Report, published earlier this month.
Stewart Gilliland, Interbrew UK's managing director, criticised brewers and licensees for failing to deliver on quality and bemoaned the lack of a "wow" factor when visiting the nation's pubs.
The report revealed that an increasing number of consumers are choosing to stay at home instead of going to pubs and predicted that the take-home share of the beer business is likely to increase unless the on-trade offers better "in-outlet excellence".
"The pub experience is average and the wow factor is very small at the moment," said Mr Gilliland. "The quality threshold is forever moving upwards as consumers become more demanding. There's a lot of competition for the leisure pound and I believe that 2001 must be the time when this industry starts delivering better quality."
Mr Gilliland also claimed that more than 40 per cent of pints aren't served the way they should be and urged the industry to concentrate on staff training and improving presentation with the use of branded glasses and merchandising. He also called for an end to unrewarding drinks promotions which the report claims only influence two per cent of customers.
The report revealed a one per cent decline in all on-trade beer sales for the year ending 2000 and showed that consumers were continuing to choose lager ahead of ale. The standard ale market remained flat while the premium ale market faltered in the on-trade with a 13 per cent drop.
"The rise of wine and premium packaged spirits is putting beer under threat and we need to find ways of making it relevant to today's 18 to 24-year-old consumers," added Mr Gilliland.
www.interbrewmarketreport. co.uk
Leading beer brands
- Top Premium Draught Lagers
Brand | Value | +/- percentage |
Stella Artois | £637m | +11 per cent |
Kronenbourg 1664 | £288m | +4 per cent |
Carlsberg Export | £137m | -14 per cent |
Grolsch | £82m | +21 per cent |
- Top Standard Draught Lagers
Brand | Value | +/- percentage |
Carling | £1280m | +10 per cent |
Foster's | £1094m | +4 per cent |
Carlsberg | £635m | +4 per cent |
Heineken | £446m | -3 per cent |
- Top Draught Ales
Brand | Value | +/- percentage |
John Smith's | £588m | +3 per cent |
Tetley's | £379m | +2 per cent |
Worthington | £358m | +14 per cent |
Boddingtons | £193m | +10 per cent |
All totals for year ending December 2000
