I Hope We Know What We Are Doing...

So, we have massive hikes in raw material prices, allied with global shortages of the same, spiralling (upwards, of course) fuel & energy prices, an ever-shrinking marketplace thanks to restrictive trading & too much competition (much of it from breweries that aren't run to be commercially viable, but as a 'hobby'). And if that wasn't enough, we have State Nannies hell-bent on over-demonising all forms of alcohol to stop a tiny, tiny minority who still behave like idiots even when they are sober. That is our market in a nutshell.

There is only one obvious course of action. Expand!

Whilst we have been planning this for a long, long time (longer than was planned), it is, given the above, even more important that we grow - because then we can afford to target new markets, grow successfully into the shrinking existing one, and expand our offerings in the process.

So just what are we doing then? Firstly, we are putting in a new beer store - our existing one is cramped, badly located (it was always temporary), and hard work. Not only is the new one bigger, it is at ground level - so we can use a fork lift (and that, believe me, will be a God send in itself). It will also enable us (for a variety of reasons) to allow our beer to mature in tanks, which will free up some more casks not only to help cover increased production, but it also means no more being unable to brew just because we have no spare casks. Secondly, we upgrade our cask washing facilities, speeding up that particular job immensely. Thirdly, we will have more storage space for malt supplies - so they won't be in the way (and as a side benefit, malt handling prior to starting each brew will be simplified, and easier). And last, but not least, in the middle of it all will sit a rather useful, and somewhat flash, automated bottling line. Which is of course where new markets come in. If the drinker increasingly won't go to the pub, the pub, it seems, is increasingly expected to go to the drinker. Enter Bottled Beer. And of course having a full range of bottled beers gives us the chance to look at restaurants (Beer and food? A fine match, much better than wine.), off-licences, supermarkets etc.

Yes, I did say supermarkets. I will go one further, and say Tesco. It was winning their Bottled Beer Award (East, 2008) that sparked this off, and we'll be on their shelves (if all works out to a mutual advantage) by the summer. It has been suggested, nay hammered into us in some cases, that Tesco are the root of all evil, and not very nice to be dealing with. But our eyes are open - they are a huge dominant global corporate giant, we are but a small little concern where even the vehicles have names not ID numbers. This is not good for us? Maybe not. But if we follow their requirements (and in a past life I got to learn why these requirements were needed, and their is some common sense involved), supply the sort of product we would be happy to drink, and do our best to be flexible, I think we'll be alright. And if it doesn't work? Well, we'll have had some immense exposure to the public. And we certainly don't ever intend to have any one customer so big that we can't manage without them. Yes, we'll want to court other large chains, but it will be different beers.

Of course in an ideal world, we'd all be drinking down the pub - but that is not happening, and we'd be stupid not to follow the market. Ironically, I suspect the day of the pub will return - but not in the villages that are already without, and those that quite possibly soon will be. Let's just hope in the meantime that alchohol isn't priced out of the reach of the sensible, moderate drinking majority, in a flawed attempt to control the few idiots, who, quite frankly, are only idiots because society has fromed that way. But then I guess I am missing the point. Education costs money. Alcohol brings it in. It just depends how much they think we'll pay for it, because we can't as a Nation afford to reduce tax revenues. Too many buffoons to pay for.

So all in all, I'm not worried about knowing what we are doing. I'm more worried that everyone else knows what they are doing....

Your Turn WILL Come

So in just 10 days from when I write this, smoking in public places will become illegal. Well, that's good isn't. After all, we've all read the sound science behind passive smoking, and even if you doubt that is an issue, cigarette smoke still gets into your clothes, hair, and of course smoke gets in your eyes. And so from July 1st, pubs, shops & restaurants etc will be much nicer places to be in the view of the majority of us.

And maybe more people will now go to the pub, because before they didn't like the smokey atmosphere. But will they have got too used to their comfortable chair, cheap supermarket 'chemical' drinks, and the mind-numbing pap on the goggle-box? I think maybe they might have. But still, we are upbeat about it, and view the whole thing as a move in the right direction. And so live in hope that more people will now support their local pubs.

But hey, just wait a minute tobacco-picking minute. We aren't smokers, so of course we don't have a problem with the ban. So we sit back and listen to the smokers whine, and make no effort to see their rights. But no, that's fine, they don't have any do they. Until.... What will be banned next - the smart money is on further controls on alcohol, even perhaps a ban by the back door through other means (ie massive tax hikes). Then of course we will be jumping up and down, just like many smokers are now. Will they be keen to support our fight, or as keen as we were to support them?

And what about other folks? The non-drinkers, the folks who never want to visit their local (you know, the ones who'll moan when, as the last in the village, it has to shut through no trade and so drives down the value of their house). Will they defend our right to have a drink - sensibly and in moderation of course, as we failed to defend the smokers right to have a smoke in the warm?

No, I doubt they would. Their world won't be overly affected, it is after all someone elses problem. And then, in time, something they enjoy - say the right to operate dangerous machinery like a lawn mower or strimmer in their own garden - will be picked on by the State Nannies. And it will be their turn - indeed maybe YOUR turn - to get hot under the collar. Trouble is, there'll be no-one left willing to fight for you.

It's worth a thought, isn't it?

Sticking your head in the sand should carry a Govt Health Warning...