Emma Chinese boost for Scottish brewers ahead of craft beer sales push in France and the USA
Scottish craft brewers are this month being showcased in the US and China as part of a coordinated campaign to boost exports beer and spirits.
Last weekend’s International Food & Beverage Exhibition in Guangzhou, China saw more than 10,000 attendees, many of whom tried beers from Scottish craft breweries such as Williams Brothers, Stewart Brewing, Brewmeister and The Clan Brewing Company. Later this month, the Clan Brewing Co and social enterprise beer Brewgooder will be showcased at the NBWA Annual Convention in San Diego, California, putting the innovative products into the hands of influential industry insiders and distributors.
Chris Miller, export director of JW Filshill International, worked with partners Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise to generate the sales exposure for the breweries at both the Chinese and the American visits.
He said: “For a small nation, we punch well above our weight when it comes to brewing. Our breweries are rightly considered some of the best in the world, thanks to Scotland’s natural resources as well as the talent and sheer hard graft of the brewers. It’s an honour to be able to showcase these world-class products at key events in two of the biggest economies, putting these beers into the hands of buyers, distributors and end-consumers.”
“Involvement in these events is a major coup, and we expect they will lead to new distribution deals, such as the recent French deal for the Clan Brewing Company, further helping to grow our burgeoning craft drinks sector. With the uncertainty of Brexit, nurturing these international relationships is vital for Scotland, both for our craft breweries and distilleries and for the wider economy, too.”
Mr Miller also paid tribute to the agencies who helped organise the trade visits. “SDI and Scottish Enterprise are great supporters of our craft drinks sector. This is very much a collaborative effort involving the private and public sector and which is benefitting all involved, while at the same time bringing beautiful Scottish products to new audiences.”
