New brewing course and craft beer survey results

MEDIA RELEASE                                                       

Wednesday 26 August 2009

For immediate release

New brewing course and craft beer survey results announced at BrewNZ Business

Massey University will host New Zealand’s first residential short course in craft brewing at its Palmerston North campus in November.  The University of Ballarat’s Dr Peter Aldred and Dr Frank Vriesekoop will run the course.

Announced at the BrewNZ Business Session in Wellington this afternoon, the Head of the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health at Massey University, Professor Richard Archer, says “ever since we opened the microbrewery in April last year, and started using it in our degree courses in engineering and food technology, we have had craft brewers clamouring for a course for them.  The Brewers Guild of New Zealand has been particularly keen that we mount a good short course. This is it!”
Also at the BrewNZ Business session, independent researcher Phil Dunbar of Market Knowledge presented the results of a Craft Beer Market Survey.  The results did not include the premium craft beers offered by the larger breweries, Lion and DB, rather focussing on the small, yet growing craft brewing industry in New Zealand.

The key results showed that over a snap shot of three six-month periods, from Jan 2008 to June 2009, the size of the market grew from 28,700hL to 29,400hL, a 2.5% increase between the first and last six months of the survey.  The overall size of the market is 2% percent of the total beer sales market.  If Lion and DB craft beer brands were included, the total size of the craft beer market would be estimated at around 7.5 to 8%.

Employment in the craft beer industry ranged from 1 to 62 FTEs with a mean of 7.3 FTEs.  Respondents reported restraints to growth as: cash flow (27%); size of plant (18%); with other issues such as lack of capital, staff, distribution and marketing also recorded by 9% of respondents.

When asked what they would do if excise tax was reduced, 32% responded that they would invest in plant or equipment, 32% would invest in marketing, and 9% said they would increase wages and lower prices.

In terms of business confidence, 67% of respondents felt their business would improve in the next 12 months, with the remainder predicting it would remain the same.

Chairman of the Brewers Guild of New Zealand, David Cryer opened the session updating industry and media on the BrewNZ Beer Awards judging completed yesterday which featured over 360 entries in 17 categories from New Zealand and around the world.  A 75% increase on entries last year, David Cryer commented that “the aim of the Guild this year has been to establish BrewNZ as a globally recognised brewing occasion involving the BrewNZ Beer Awards, followed by a public event celebrating New Zealand craft beer, and we have gone a long way towards achieving this goal.”

In its eighth year, BrewNZ is the official New Zealand beer event, endorsed by the Brewers Guild of New Zealand. Culminating with the BrewNZ Beer Awards Dinner on Thursday 27 August where the Supreme Winner (Champion New Zealand Brewer) will be announced, the public will also have a chance to meet brewers and taste interesting beers at Beervana, Wellington Town Hall on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August.  Tickets are $25 at Ticketek, with beer samples ranging from $2 and upwards each.

Ends.

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