Microbrewers Export to China

A Nottingham based business has been helping East Midlands microbrewers export their beers to China with the support of The University of Nottingham. The brewing science team from the University have worked with the microbrewers to increase their quality control processes, leading to greater consistency by measuring qualities such as alcohol by volume, CO2, microbial stability and shelf life.

After a successful beer tasting trip to distributors in China, British Craft Beers has since exported the first orders of beer to merchants in Shanghai and in Chengdu, Sichuan province. The process was drawn together when Clements Marketing won a Food and Drink iNet, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funded project to gain a better understanding of the Chinese market, which also included support from the University’s Asia Business Centre and UKTI.

Alan Clements, Managing Director of Clements Marketing, said: “Due to the gradual decline of pubs across the UK and the domination of big brewers in the country, export markets are becoming increasingly attractive to craft brewers, and China is the world’s largest beer market claiming one in every four pints of beer sold globally.”

Research conducted at The University’s Ningbo Campus, China, identified a significant niche market for British Craft Beer in China which led Alan, together with food and drink specialist Richard Worrall, to form British Craft Beers. “Although British craft beers are currently not very well known, with very few of these beers being sold in China at the moment, there is a clear opportunity in this market for sweeter beers, mild and dark stouts and porters. In addition, the Chinese show a clear liking for some of the fruit flavoured beers,” Richard Worrall said.

British Craft Beers, which along with Clements marketing operate from a base at the Nottingham University, is now looking to develop new partnerships with more local craft brewers who are interested in selling their beers to China.