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Developed in partnership with equipment and insights firm Bar Analytics, the Asahi Draught Quality Programme uses telemetry data to identify temperature fluctuations, line efficiency issues and maintenance cycles, helping operators maintain beer quality and reduce waste.
Factual conversations
The brewer estimated almost a third (30%) of all draught beer sold in the UK is dispensed through unclean lines, highlighting the scale of the opportunity for operators to improve quality and profitability.
Asahi UK draught quality standards manager Simon Heath said: “Previously beer quality has tended to be measured subjectively and emotionally, by opinion, but against a commercial backdrop where millions of pounds are lost annually in draught waste, using data generated from our draught quality programme enables us to have factual conversations about quality with our customers.”
The business has ambitious plans to expand the scheme. Asahi UK director of commercial operations Craig Nelson said: “The sky’s the limit.”
Consistent quality
He added: “We’d love to have telemetry on every Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Asahi Super Dry outlet to deliver consistent quality for our consumers and continue to support pubs and bars by driving more efficient, quality operations, which will drive additional value.”
The announcement comes as Asahi continues to see growth opportunities across its beer portfolio.
According to Nielsen data cited by Asahi UK director of category and insights Andy Wingate, fruit-flavoured beer sales in the off-trade have grown by more than 50% over the past four years, while legacy spirit-flavoured lagers have declined by 15%. Wingate predicted a strong future for the flavoured beer category, believing it will become a staple feature on draught fonts in the coming years.
