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Innis & Gunn founder Dougal Gunn Sharp
Innis & Gunn has signed a deal to distribute its beer to the on- and off-trade in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The distribution deal with Dxcel International will focus on Innis & Gunn’s flagship ale Original, and Ossian, a golden ale by Inveralmond Brewery, which was bought by Innis & Gunn in April last year.
Dxcel International will utilise its vast network of premium bars and restaurants and premium off-trade including hotel chains and supermarket groups. It also operates an estate of Tap House pubs and Dean’s Bottle Shops in major Chinese cities.
Innis & Gunn will be enlisting the services of Shanghai-based Scotsman Alan Hepburn to work alongside Dxcel International in supporting its sales and marketing plans. Alan has many years of experience at local and board level with international hotel groups and acts as a consultant in many fields of the hospitality trade.
Innis & Gunn founder, Dougal Gunn Sharp, said: “Exports have always been very important to us since we started 13 years ago. We’ve seen our products do exceedingly well in Canada, the US and Sweden and we thought it was about time we headed into the largest beer market in the world.
“China excites us not only because of its size, but also its growing passion and thirst for great craft beer. In Dxcel International we have found partners with not only the network to distribute beer, but tremendous insight on consumer tastes and a joint passion on educating and informing consumers about the breadth of what great beer is and can be.”
