Caribbean lager joins GBL
Global Brands Ltd (GBL) is to import and distribute Carib, a 5.2 per cent lager from Trinidad & Tobago.
The Publican has learnt that the beer, which previously had a small UK distribution through an ethnic foods company, will be exclusively imported by GBL.
"It is a wonderfull beer, one I tasted a long time ago and hugely enjoyed," said John Harley, beer brands director of GBL and chairman of the National Organisation for Imported Beers.
"It is one of those beers that deserves a place in the UK market. I feel it is quite similar in terms of proposition and perception to Corona. We will be looking at all the young persons' venues, high street chains and nightclubs with this cracking lager," he added.
This now brings the number of brands in GBL's beer brands portfolio to three following its deals with Estonian beer Viru in June and Chinese beer Tsingtao in March. Mr Harley says he plans to increase the size of the portfolio to five by the end of 2006.
"The geography of our brands is important but not as much as the separation. In a portfolio it is important to have brands that don't compete against one another.
"At the moment all three of the beers can effectively be sold at the same time and will not interfere with each other. I want a non-competitive portfolio where each one is unique," he added.
In March GBL, which is best known for its ownership of spirit-based brands like Vodka Kick and Corky's, announced it would be investing in the imported premium packaged lager market. The company has appointed former Budweiser Budvar UK chief executive John Harley to head up its beer brands division.
