The launch of BrewDog’s classic stout Black Heart has been an “runaway success” according to Bars CEO James Brown, who was speaking on a drinks panel at MCA’s Pub Conference.
“Our customers are always demanding a really good alternative to Guinness,” Brown said.
Beer sommelier Annabel Smith agreed stout was one of the highest growth category beers in the on-trade, which was being driven by clever social media and consumer campaigns.
In Smith’s view, growth in stout is also born from a lack of consumer confidence in other beer categories such as cask. “What they do is they turn to a similar flavour experience where they are guaranteed the quality”.
They are still getting the same flavour profiles as a cask beer but getting it served “at the right temperature in the right glass”.
Despite growth in stout, lager still remains “the monster” of the industry, she added.
“We are also seeing pale ale in growth, that is partly due to visibility on the bar of a lot of keg ales. But the monster is still lager, with 7 out of every 10 pints being sold”.
Meanwhile Oliver Robinson, co-managing director of Robinsons Brewery said that a £2.8m investment in a new brewery was testament to the importantce of beer to the family business.
Speaking on innovation in the market, he said demand for premium products was being driven by younger consumers.
“We’re seeing that the 18 or 19 years olds want something a bit different. One reason that we have put so much money behind cask, is that the higher the price, the higher the demand.”
Citing the premiumisation trend in cocktails and artisan spirits, Smith added: “People are paying for those, so why not beer”.
The discussion also covered the growing popularity of low and no alcohol options in the on-trade.
Smith suggested a lack of visibility in pubs as a reason why publicans may struggle in this category. “People are going into pubs and it’s just not there, they can’t see it”.
“I think there is an education piece around this. Publicans and the wider trade need to understand that this embracing of the sobriety journey or health and wellbeing, turning away from alcoholic products is a voluntary decision”.
Despite inheriting a dealcoholisation plant, Robinson said that the family brewery would not be leading the low and no movement, but rather “following closely behind”.
“We’re going to have to evolve with it. I don’t go to the pub to drink low and no, I go to the pub to drink a beer and I think the vast majority of people do,” he said.
Responsible for less than 1% of sales at Robinson’s pubs, the director said that although they are not seeing huge spending in the category, it is something that is continually growing and he is keen “to keep an eye on”.
At BrewDog, Brown said, “personally we’re not struggling with it”.
“We see customers more and more wanting to come in and have not just a no experience, but mix between the two and have a low or no as a spacer”. As a result, the brand encourages all their pub general managers to have at least three low or no options.
“We’re seeing great growth in not just packaged and draft on-trade, but also we’re selling a ton of off-trade low and no beers as well”.
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