By James Wells in Hobart
A leading Coopers executive has predicted that the craft beer category in Australia could grow by five times its current value over the next 10 years following the trend set in North America.
Speaking at the beer forum at the THA Australian Hospitality Conference in Hobart yesterday, Coopers general manager of sales and marketing, Mark Goulmy, said there are two clear trends occurring in the Australian beer market.
“The first key trend is that people want beer that doesn’t taste like beer and so we see a lot of these dry, sweeter, lower carb, sweeter beers that are on the market and then there is beer that really tastes like beer and of course craft beers are doing extremely well and they will continue to do extremely well,” Goulmy said.
“In the US the craft market is around 5 per cent of the market and still growing and of course there is a lot of tax implications in the states, but that trend is also occurring here and while craft is around 1 per cent of the market certainly there is no reason why it cannot be up towards 5 per cent in the next 10 years or so.
“So people want quality beers that are quite unique for their tastebuds and of course other people want beer that is very easy drinking.
“Look for products that are going to offer more profitability for you in the longer term and this will come from craft brands. Your consumers are looking for something interesting and new to trial. Maybe switch over your taps and put something on there that is a little bit more interesting and different for consumers because they are looking for a broader repertoire of brands and something new to try. I think that is where you have the opportunity to make some incremental profit for your hotel, restaurant or club.”
