Confused definitions reign in the trade

Herding the styles of imported, speciality and specialty beers into recognised groups is a difficult task; even a poll of brewers reveals some surprisingly different ideas.

"It is difficult to define absolute categories because there are always grey areas," concurs Philip Parker of importer Ubevco, which handles Sol, Tiger and Pilsner Urquell.

Imported beers are obviously easier to tell apart, but while No Fibs clearly sees them as a stand-alone sector, Fiona Langan, brand manager for Bravara, Halewood's Brazilian lager, counters: "Imported beer is a segment of the speciality market. Speciality beers are niche beers across all styles, including lager and bitter. Imported beers are brewed at source and brought to the UK."

Colin Pedrick, managing director of on-trade sales at Interbrew UK, has a different take on the market, pinning it down to European beers: "Speciality beers are traditionally from European countries such as Belgium and Germany and their unique brewing process and special ingredients give them their very own individual distinctive taste. It is this distinctive taste that sets them apart from all other beers, including other imported beers."

In contrast, Heineken talks about consumers defining the sectors. "A speciality beer appeals to a niche group and is likely to have a relatively restricted distribution," says UK managing director Rob Marijnen.

Budweiser Budvar and Holland's Bavaria brewery believe speciality beers don't have to be imported to gain that tag, which means premium English ales are also in the ranks.

Simplifying the definitions is part of helping the beers to establish a platform in the UK and give them better distinction from what's already out there.