John Howkins (left), director of Worldwide Drinks Ltd, and Ross Gurney, account manager at Brains
S A Brain & Co Ltd is on course to ship more than one million pints of beer to India before the end of the year.
A successful partnership with South Wales-based Worldwide Drinks Ltd has seen Brains ship in excess of 750,000 pints to India already this year, with exports set to break through the one million barrier before the end of 2016.
At the beginning of the year Brains embarked on the new venture, producing a Belgian-style Witbier called Witlinger, on behalf of a leading importer and distributor based in New Delhi, India.
Ross Gurney, account manager at Brains, said: “Our partnership with Worldwide Drinks has given us the opportunity to drive our brands into significant growing markets across the world. At Brains we are passionate about what we do, our heritage and our brewing credentials as an established brewer for more than 130 years. We strongly believe the key to our continued success is the great beer we brew and we want to share this with as many people as possible.”
Worldwide Drinks Ltd, a Cowbridge-based company established in 2006, has enjoyed a close partnership with Brains for the past five years.
Director John Howkins said: “The Indian market has always been hugely challenging for British exporters, as the import taxes remain high and regulations across the different states are complex. However, the market is beginning to change and consumers are increasingly seeking more premium, imported products.
“Beer imports to India are still very much in their infancy, but as Brains have proved, with the right partner and the right product, it is possible to break into the market. Initial signs are that specially formulated Witlinger Witbier, developed by head brewer Bill Dobson, is proving very popular with Indian consumers.”
Bill Dobson added: “It’s been a great experience developing this beer for the Indian market and I’m delighted to see the initial signs of success. It’s exciting to see the Brains brand reaching new parts of the world.”
The beer has achieved a good level of distribution in New Delhi and is now being rolled out in Mumbai and Goa.
Brains has been active in export markets for the past eight years and now export to over 20 markets across the globe, including destinations such as New Zealand, Hong Kong, Russia and Scandinavia.
