MAY | COVER FEATURE
brewery.
This means a unique festival-
branded beer could be in the hands
of your attendees, with minimal
transit. Founder Neil Soni tells
Access: “Branded beer is a great
way to tell your brand’s story -
everyone will look at the label. And
better yet, the label is in everyone’s
pictures of the event
“Festivals are known to be a
celebration of various art forms,
each of which is not only unique
in their own way, but are also
powerful statements of trust, and
confidence, in one’s own brand.
“Our growing network of
breweries span across four
different territories that we
operate in. This not only allows
us to support local talent, but by
utilising the spare capacity of
our network, and working with
those closest to the final point of
consumption, we have the ability
to cut the carbon footprint of any
brew by 50% in comparison to any
other the carbon footprint.”
Teo Correia, sr managing
director, Accenture praised
Unlimited Brewing’s model:
“Having our own personalised beer
at our events has really created a
unique touch to them. The fact that
it embraces the sharing economy
model of using spare capacity and
is better to the environment with
a lower carbon footprint than
traditional beer, is just a bonus.”
Some are deviating towards sour
beers, and there are many complex
flavours out there that might
surprise us and become mass
market. IPA is an unlikely favourite
but Five Points does a great range,
and offers largers that are much
lighter. Camden’s Hells beers are
also great.
“For events, however, session
beers are popular as you can drink
them over a long period of time.
Stouts of 6-7% are popular at
events, but I’d avoid anything over
9% for events.”
Curtis adds: “The UK has always
been discerning in its appetite
for good beer. That’s exactly why
CAMRA was formed in the early
70s. The rise of social media
has changed our awareness of
it though, and it’s much more
prevalent now. Much like breweries
themselves, with over 2,000 in the
UK alone.
“We’ve seen some pretty
amazing results over the years.
Ultimately though, Uppers
“Field Day is a good
example, with its
London Brewers Market
area championing small
breweries”
– Matt Curtis, Uppers & Downers
Below: Uppers & Downers events
have taken off
& Downers is about bringing
together the worlds of speciality
coffee and craft beer. At the
moment the overlap of this
particular Venn diagram is pretty
small - but these two worlds have
so much more in common than
they might think.”
The trend towards more
food/drinks related festivals is
undeniable, adds Morgan.
“More are cropping up, and
this year we are producing Kerb’s
first festival to meet the demand
of Londoners seeking better
street food and locally produced
beverages.
“Attendees are looking for a
more wholesome experience it
certainly isn’t just about headliners
anymore. Beverages matter.”
So, as the reasons consumers
give for visiting festivals
diversifies, so too should the drink
offerings. And, while the draw of
major artists is under dispute, who
could doubt the allure of a finely
sourced ale?
CHOICE OF A NEW
GENERATION
So, now that we’re over the fizzy
lagers synonymous with the lad’s
mag era, which drink choices are
now on the menu?
Vollrath says that the evolution
of beer choice was unpredictable,
with Indian Pale Ales (IPAs) now
dominating the market, much to
the surprise of many. “Who knows
where the market will go next.
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