'We can watch the beer industry decline as it has over the last 20 years, or we can do something about it' - Mark Hunter, Coors Brewers marketing director.
The challenges faced by the UK pub industry have never been greater, with continued threats from other leisure occasions and, according to the latest British lifestyle survey, "staying in is the new going out".
Spending on beer drunk at home has risen by 41 per cent in real terms over the last five years compared with a six per cent decline outside of the home.
The UK beer industry has declined by over 14 million beer barrels since 1980 - that is a staggering four billion pints per annum that have been lost!
Clearly, a number of factors have contributed to this including changes in consumer demographics, lifestyle, new product categories and a demand by consumers for a greater drinking experience and value for money.
Research carried out by Interbrew in 2001 highlighted some of the fundamental issues:
- 34 per cent of consumers will go to a different outlet if quality is poor
- 49 per cent would not order the same drink again if the quality was poor
- 53 per cent of consumers would pay more for quality.
While the UK retail pub scene has experienced dramatic changes within the last 10 years, the problem of delivering a consistent quality offering to the consumer has not always been at the top of everyone's agenda. The objective of this article is to generate a debate around an issue that, if not addressed head on, could ultimately be the first nail in the beer industry's coffin.
So what can be done?
A number of brewers, including Coors, Interbrew and Guinness, are highlighting the importance of embracing quality as an integral part of their strategy. And it is at the brewery where the journey along the quality chain begins.
Brewers can rightly be proud of the enormous improvements made in beer quality over the years. Well over 99 per cent of draught beer, whether in cask or keg, now leaves in an excellent condition. However, it is only here that it begins its journey through the supply chain.
It is important that beer is treated with real care during its distribution. It should not get too hot or cold and like many food products is at its best when drunk fresh. Then, as beer arrives in the cellar, following an often bumpy journey, it needs time to settle to the right temperature and, in the case of cask conditioned ale, to condition.
Good stock control within the pub is essential for beer to be put on sale in optimal condition. Beers should be sold before the end of their shelf life and, once broached, containers should be used within three days.
Beer in top condition
Below are clear recommendations that you should also adhere to to ensure you are always keeping your beers at their optimal conditions:
- cellar cooling: this should be in the range of 10 to 13C. Too high or too low can result in flat, fobbing or hazy beer
- line cleaning: unless cleaned regularly pipes will attract a build-up of yeast and other deposits. This will not only have a significant impact on the quality of the beer you serve but will also cause fobbing and beer wastage. Lines should be cleaned once every seven days, with a brewer-recommended line-cleaning fluid
- container size: aim to ensure that the container size you are using can be sold within three days to ensure maximum freshness
- gas mix: different gases are required to dispense different types of beer (lager, nitrokeg, stout). If the wrong gas is used there is a very real risk of dispense problems (either flat or fobbing beer), poor presentation and a defective palate
- glasswashing: this is often an overlooked area but it has a significant impact on the ultimate presentation of the beer. Check that your glasses are in sparkling condition, that your glasswashing machine is in good working order and the washing/rinse aid chemicals are recommended by your brewer
- cask beer: the art of looking after cask beer is what sets apart the really good pubs. Both CAMRA and Cask Marque champion those pubs that celebrate the very highest standards of real ale. To get the very best out of cask beer:
- - leave undisturbed for 24 hours allowing product to reach cellar temperature
- - apply a soft wooden peg or "spile" into the bung hole on top of the cask to allow the gas from fermentation to vent off
- - when the beer is perfectly clear and its aromas and flavours are judged to be balanced and rich, it is ready to be dispensed.
Staff training and product knowledge
While ensuring the quality of beer within the cellar is key, it is probably the person who serves the beer that has the greatest effect on drinker perception of quality.
Research recently carried out by Coors Brewers has highlighted that "when rating the outlet there is a very high correlation between the perception of selling really good beer and barstaff caring about their customers".
One of the single biggest challenges for the hospitality industry is to raise the benchmark in terms of staff training. There needs to be greater focus on how to pour beer, product knowledge and customer service skills.
Concentrating on these three issues will not only help in retaining staff, it will also build sales and profits.
There is a real art to serving the perfect pint of beer.
Some retailers like Lowlander in Covent Garden have championed the theatre behind the perfect pour. Featuring clear steps from refreshing the glass right through to the presentation, explaining to the consumer all the benefits of a perfectly poured beer. Carling is continually seeking ways to provide better levels of service in the industry. It has provided simple guidelines to ensure the perfect pint:
- use a clean dry glass and hold towards the base
- tilt the glass at 45 degrees towards the dispense spout
- open the tap fully, then gradually straighten the glass
- serve with a 10cm head on a clean dolly
- serve ideally with a branded glass facing the consumer
- Enjoy!
The drinking experience also benefits from quality merchandising. Branded quality glassware is the very essence of the beer drinking experience on the continent but is only just starting to feature in the UK. Research recently carried out by Coors Brewers and Innkeeper Wales, showed that branded glasses add to both the drinking experience and to the image of the outlet. Consumers, however, are very clear that there are optimal shapes for glassware. Long thin glasses are best suited to light lagers while wider mouth glasses suit darker beers proud of their thick creamy heads.
Coors Brewers have also been testing other areas to understand what is important to the consumer, and this has included:
- Grolsch Silver Service - specifically to develop the experience of drinking quality beer with food
- beer menus - why should it only be the wine menu that communicates the rich benefits of beer?
- Try Before You Buy - a concept that is also being developed by Cask Marque that allows consumers to experience a small quantity of beer to encourage switching to premium brands or to a new cask ale on the bar.
This article has touched on the quality challenge that lies ahead for the pub industry. It is right that we should all be totally focused on delivering a quality service to an ever-demanding consumer. Coors Brewers is committed to "Raising the Bar" with respect to all aspects of quality from production in the brewery to the pouring of a perfect pint in the pub.
Further information can be had by contacting the hel