CRAFT Beer Clan of Scotland, the international division of Glasgow-based food and drink wholesaler JW Filshill, is ramping up distribution in key Asian markets after exhibiting at two of the region’s leading food and hospitality trade shows – HoFex in Hong Kong and ThaiFex in Bangkok – last month.
Set up last year to help Scottish craft brewers penetrate key markets initially in the Asia Pacific region and targeting a £2.5 million annual turnover within three years, Craft Beer Clan is now working with 20 brewers from across Scotland and exporting to emerging markets including China, Hong Kong and Dubai. The firm is in advanced negotiations to appoint import distributors in Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea, and is also building relationships with distributors in Scandinavia, Canada, North America and Australia.
“Having the opportunity to exhibit on the Scottish Pavilion at HoFex exposed us to many potential new customers in Hong Kong,” said Chris Miller, head of export and commercial operations at JW Filshill International.
“We view the Chinese market as key to our international growth so HoFex was a perfect route to engage with key buyers, suppliers and distributors.
“The Chinese have a strong desire for premium food and drink products and there is huge interest in Scotland, so our strategy of targeting consumers who already love and buy Scotch whisky but want to try something new with a great story behind it is working well for us.”
During HoFex, Craft Beer Clan collaborated with Quality Meat Scotland on the Scottish Pavilion to demonstrate Scotch Beef and craft beer pairing with beer from Loch Lomond Brewery.
“We’re seeing a growing trend now in matching beer with food in the same way that restaurants recommend a particular wine so we want to be ahead of the curve and use every opportunity to push the message that beer is a great accompaniment with food,” Miller explained.
As well as attending ThaiFex during the visit to Bangkok, Miller was one of an elite group of guests hand-picked to attend a Taste of Scotland reception and dinner showcasing Scottish food and drink at the residence of Mark Kent, the British Ambassdor. Craft Beer Clan beers complemented the food.
Miller travelled to ThaiFex as part of a learning journey organised by Scottish Development International in collaboration with industry group Scotland Food & Drink.
“Since we launched Craft Beer Clan last year we’ve had exceptional support from both organisations and also Scottish Enterprise,” he said.“Our international business is exceeding both our targets and expectations.
“Attending events such as HoFex and ThaiFex in these key, emerging markets will continue to be part of our short to medium-term strategy and we are currently exploring partnerships with Scottish gin and other producers to broaden our portfolio – our aspiration is to act as an international hub for the Scottish food and drink industry.”
Emma Harcus, senior manager with the food and drink team at Scottish Development International, said: “Hong Kong and Thailand are top priority markets identified in the industry export plan, offering significant opportunities for Scottish companies to take advantage of the growing consumer demand for luxury and premium products with strong provenance.
“Craft Beer Clan is a great example of an ambitious Scottish company working innovatively to grow international opportunities for the business.”
A Scotland Food & Drink spokesman said: “The impressive work of Craft Beer Clan reflects the collaborative efforts we see across the sector and I’m confident we’ll see the group going from strength to strength.“
The Scotland Food & Drink Partnership and unified strategy leads the efforts of the sector to grow exports from their current annual value of £5.1 billion to £7.1bn by 2017, building on success in the domestic market. Japan and China are among seven top markets identified as presenting the most significant opportunities.
Headed up by chief executive Simon Hannah, managing director of JW Filshill, with ex-Harviestoun Brewery boss Miller responsible for the day-to-day running of the business, Craft Beer Clan’s ranks are bolstered by David Moore, a GlobalScot who founded consultancy business Eastmoore when he returned to Scotland in 2013 after working for 12 years throughout Asia Pacific with Diageo.
In August, the “Clansmen” are back on their travels to exhibit the portfolio of brews for the second time at WhiskyL in Beijing and Shanghai along with their partner in China, the Single Malt Club. Follow-up meetings are also scheduled for Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tokyo.
The Craft Beer Clan breweries include: William Bros Brewing Company; Eden Brewery; Inveralmond Brewery; Deeside Brewery; West; Drygate Brewing Co; Caledonian Brewery; Loch Ness Brewery; Lerwick Brewery; Speyside Craft Brewery; Black Wolf Brewery; Brewmeister, Broughton Ales; Fyne Ales; Jaw Brew; Knops Beer Company; Loch Lomond Brewery; Stewart Brewing; and Tennent Caledonian.
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