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New campaign to highlight craft breweries from global beer companies

Published:  12 July, 2017

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) is calling for greater clarity for beer drinkers following a number of buyouts of previously independent craft breweries in the UK by global beer companies.

The society has launched a new campaign which aims to highlight the credentials of “truly independent craft breweries” from those which are bought out by larger counterparts.

SIBA is drawing attention to the recent buyouts of breweries Camden Town, Meantime, Sharp’s and London Fields, which was recently bought out by Carlsberg.

Mike Benner, SIBA chief executive, points to the recent buyout of The London Fields brand and site as an example of a global beer company buying out a smaller brand “in the hope of capturing the original customers and target market of an established, previously independent craft beer brewery”.

He added: “Consumers deserve to know that what they are buying is a genuine craft-brewed beer as research clearly shows that most beer drinkers believe craft beer to be produced by relatively small, independent brewers.”

SIBA is now launching an accreditation campaign to help consumers easily distinguish the provenance of beer.

The Assured Independent British Craft Brewer campaign, which will introduce a seal which can be attached to bottles or cans or on pump clips, will feature at the Great British Beer Festival in London this summer.

“London's thriving independent craft beer scene has been built on the passion, investment, sweat and tears of genuine independent brewers and we know that beer drinkers care about the provenance of their beer. The purchase of the ‘London Fields’ brand by Carlsberg raises a number of questions about genuine independence and ethics in the brewing industry,” SIBA’s South East regional director Ed Mason, who also runs Five Points Brewing Co in London, said.


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