Radio Brews News Episode 4 is now available online here and on iTunes. It was recorded on 29 June 2011.
In a wide ranging discussion with Malt Shovel’s Dr Chuck Hahn, we take a stab at the thorny issues of tap contracts, some new Squire beers and the history of the James Squire brand.
Portions of a discussion that took place after we finished the interview have been edited into the show as they were relevant to the discussions. These portions are those that relate to the Local Taphouse and the history of the Squires brand. They have been edited in to maintain the flow of the show and do not change their context or the nature of the discussion.
We invited representatives from both major breweries to discuss this issue, as well as a number of small brewers, however Chuck was the only one willing to take up our offer. We thank Lion Nathan for being willing to discuss the issue. It’s a discussion that has plenty of life left in it and we welcome listeners to join the conversation on the discussion board below. I would welcome people involved in the brewing and hotel industries to get in touch if you would like to discuss your experiences and views on a future episode of Radio Brews News, or share them confidentially via email.
Next Friday, we talk sour beers and Feral with Brendan Varis
Excellent free flowing conversation with Chuck Hahn!
I really appreciate hearing from the brewer without the frustrating (for the listener) stonewalling of marketing & brand restrictions that you might get from the business/PR side of the company. Of course, Chuck has his marketing & brand influences, but it did not seem to hold him back.
Yep, the big wealthy brewers may have the ability to throw attractive tap contracts at publicans and bar owners, limiting beer choice and diversity in bars. However, we…as the drinkers…have the ultimate power in choosing to buy the product or not.
It is the consumer who dictates the market, even though marketing will try and have as much influence as possible. So, if you don’t like the fact that a pub only has 5 taps of Lion Nathan lagers, let the bar manager know you feelings and move on to the next bar (…sure…easy for me because I live in beer-happening Melbourne were the choices are many, but every little action adds up!).
Insightful stuff! Keep up the podcast goodness. Looking forward to heading from Brendan Varis! Cheers.
This issue is much larger than the “big evil” brewers too. A number of what many would call “craft brewers” are out contracting taps now too.
James is right. If we don’t buy the beers they have on tap they will put something else on. So lets reward the bars that have the product we want.
Great work Chuck
Nice to see you dispelling some of the myths around what it takes to get distribution of your brands, as a large or smaller brewer.
Clearly the big guys are at an advantage, and significant market power, but having spent 20 years in the biz I have observed over time that the cream of “Quality” both here in Oz and abroad consistently floats to the top. You just have to look at Phil Sexton, Chuck Hahn and more recently Brad Rodgers as proof of this.
Importantly this success is a factor of both the quality of the beers they produce and but the quality of the people they hire to represent their brands in the market.
Having spent time both here in Australia and in the US I have witnessed first hand that to be successful small brewers need to understand time spent in the trade and media educating consumers about their beers and why they are different from their competitors is as important, as the time you spend brewing and packaging the beers you produce.
If you want to grow your business or at worst survive in a pretty challenging environment you need to get the balance right and factor in investing more time in the trade either as the brewer or owner or by employing the right person or company to represent your brands on your behalf.
These guys need to not only do all of the day to day sales call functions, but also deliver the businesses message one glass or one person at a time. This can be achieved through hosting beer dinners (at least once a fortnight) or doing regular retail or on premise tastings (weekly).
This is important as it demonstrates to the retailer or venue owner that you are committed to supporting their businesses by putting in place programs that help ensure your products sell out and don’t just sit on the shelf taking up valuable space and venue cash flow. They also give you a great opportunity to learn what people and the venue staff really think of your beer and how you package them.
They also provide you and your business with a valuable point of difference that the big guys don’t often make time for whilst delivering a consumer experience for the retailers customers that is increasingly more valuable than the rebates they are likely to get from the larger suppliers.
Great podcast Matty!