While AB InBev’s group results were somewhat disappointing, its UK unit appears to be performing relatively well.
A statement from Paula Lindenberg, President of the Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, said: “Our UK business grew in revenue by high single digits in 2019, driven by strong performances from our global brands and craft portfolio.”
2019 was a significant year for business as it moved its head office to central London and rebranded to Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I.
Looking at individual brand performance, Lindenberg stated that Stella Artois had remained the number one selling alcohol brand with it continuing to grow year-on-year.
Corona had an “outstanding year” with year-on-year growth of 11.7%. Lindenberg highlighted that the brand brought incremental growth to the beer category throughout 2019 and increased its footprint in the on-trade. “We launched Corona on draught, which provides a super-premium experience for consumers, whilst adding value and volume for customers to the much-loved Corona in a bottle,” she said.
Lindenberg went on to say its no and low alcohol portfolio remains a focus area for the business as it looks to meet its “ambitious smart drinking goals”. She revealed that Bud Light is growing in both value and volume and has achieved double-digit growth in the on-trade.
Meanwhile, its craft and speciality brands had a good year with both Camden Hells and Camden Pale Ale in the top 10 contributors to craft category growth in the off-trade. Camden grew both in both on- and off-trade, while Goose Island IPA saw double-digit growth.
Lindenberg concluded the update by saying: “Beyond our brands, we made significant commitments to customers. We announced our plan to bring our drinks dispense service in-house in 2020 to improve flexibility and reliability for customers, and we launched Raising the Bar, our fairer system for draught connection fees in pubs and bars. We also launched a partnership with leading renewable energy supplier Opus Energy to offer a green energy tariff to our On-Trade customers.
“Notably, we announced a multi-million-pound investment in new technology which will allow us to eliminate plastic rings from can packaging across our entire UK-produced beer range by the end of 2020. The removal of plastic rings from all UK products, eliminating 850 tonnes of plastic from the market, will have a significant impact in reducing plastic from supermarket beer shelves and is a big step towards a more sustainable future.”
Looking ahead, she said: “We are focused on accelerating growth, especially in the super premium segment with Corona and Camden, celebrating Bud Light’s sponsorship of the England senior men’s team at the Euro 2020 Tournament, making an impact in sustainable brewing by brewing all of our beers with 100% renewable electricity, and working to create a nation of smart drinkers by enhancing our no and low alcohol portfolio.”
