l PACKAGING
came with the opening of a full-scale brewery in November 2013. The 40,000-hectolitre capacity of the brew- ery dwarfs the brew pub’s 2,000-hecto- litre output. With the brewery operating at full capacity, business has now achieved record growth with revenue up 50% per year or the past three years. Steam- works brews a number of award- winning beers, some of which are on their tap year-round and some that are seasonal. Year round, Steamworks offers a its Flagship IPA which recently won Best Beer in British Columbia out of 785 entries, Signature Pale Ale, Kölsch, North by Northwest Pilsner, Jasmine India Pale Ale, Black Angel IPA, White Angel IPA and Heroica Red Ale. Eli recognised very early on that there was an interest and curiosity in the Steamworks brand, not just in the domestic market, but in the US and be- yond. International growth was always an ambition and now Steamworks is now selling products in 14 US states, as well as overseas in Hong Kong, Ger- many, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Moving from operating a brew pub to a global business, Steamworks has had to tackle a new set of marketing, packaging and logistics challenges. This included exploring alternatives to traditional steel kegs which were too costly to use for exporting the beer. In 2014, Steamworks chose Petainer’s innovative one-way PET kegs because they offer a much more practical, lower cost, yet high-quality alterna- tive. They also provide a range of valve options which are suitable for the dif- ferent export markets Steamworks is focussing on, from Europe to Asia. Steamworks uses both the 20L & 30L petainerKeg™ with the integrated non-auto-pressure release valve (NPR) with depressurizing tool, with D Type valve and A Type Valve. Petainer’s local market presence through Petainer Can- ada also means that technical expertise and good service is readily available. Over the next five to ten years, Eli will continue to look at new opportuni- ties to grow the business and build the brand, taking the Steamworks beers to new markets where they can be enjoyed.
shape of PET kegs is a real advantage. In addition, when a PET keg is empty, it can be disposed of for recycling after releasing its pressure. This frees up storage space which was previously needed for empty metal kegs until the wholesaler’s next shipment. Microbreweries and craft beer is a success story of the past five to ten years, having enjoyed rapid growth. Consumers now demand and expect far more choice when it comes to their beer so retail outlets must provide a much wider range of draught beer products than ever before. This presents a stock challenge for the outlets. Smaller con- tainers, such as 20L or 30L PET kegs are much more practical in these circum- stances because they are emptied quick- ly. In addition, the beer can be ordered in smaller quantities – helping to reduce the need for stockpiling. Petainer is working with breweries around the world to provide packag- ing technologies which support their growth strategies, helping them to enter new markets and export their products effectively and efficiently. Case study: Steamworks Canadian brewery Steamworks chose petainerKeg™ to help it take advan- tage of emerging craft beer markets. Founded by lawyer Eli Gershkovitch in 1995 when he opened the Steamworks Brew Pub in Vancouver, Steamworks has gone from strength to strength as it has taken advantage of organic growth opportunities to increase the floor space at the original Gastown location, boosting seats from an initial 184 to 754 today, as well as adding another restaurant. In November 2013, the most significant expansion for the brewery
enters during the filling process. It has also been proven that PET containers with integrated scavenger technology tend to have fewer microbiological is- sues than those without it.
From wholesaler to final customer
When the beer arrives by ship, the sea containers are processed and relevant deliveries made to the customer or to other wholesalers. PET kegs weigh much less than metal kegs which makes them easier and safer to han- dle. Some markets have strict laws about how much workers can carry. For example, in Italy there is a law pro- hibiting workers from carrying objects weighing more than 25kg. This means that even lighter metal kegs can pose a problem – using 20L disposable PET kegs is a practical and viable alterna- tive for these markets. Reaching the end customer When the beer reaches its final destina- tion, be it a pub, bar or restaurant, ease of handling is important as is space for stockpiling. Busy retail outlets are often short of storage, so the slim, taller
Annemieke Hartman- Jemmett is Group Commercial Director at Petainer www.petainer.com
Steamworks founder Eli Gershkovitch
7 z Brewer and Distiller International
www.ibd.org.uk
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker