bit with the recipes. Who wants to drink the same beer every day, right?” These new taste sensations are paired with local meats, cheeses and snacks, all served up on locally-made charcuterie boards.
necessarily by design. The original plan was to market to BC and distribute through Okanogan and provincial channels. But, like all good products, word gets out there and the distribution circle expands. Dyck explains, that they accepted accounts outside of BC because their clients came to them and were passionate about carrying their beer. “Some of the places [outside of BC] really like the product. So, they go the extra mile and contact us to make sure they can stock our beer… We aren’t marketing to them. They are coming to us at this point. We can’t keep up with our local demand at certain times of the year,” Dyck remarks.
It’s a welcoming experience that is sure to appeal to all the senses.
While all this customer-experience personalization might make Cannery Brewing seem like a small, easily-managed operation, the numbers tell a slightly different story. Last year they brewed 500,000 litres of beer, and totals will be up by another 100,000 this year. These quantities allow a significant product volume, but not so much that freshness is compromised. “People who appreciate wine, good coffee, interesting food… these are the ones who generally appreciate craft beer.” The brewery is currently in their second year at their new location (their original location was an old cannery building, naturally). Dyck explains that their old location was in an on-trend building with “funky” occupants, such as a bakery, a gymnastics club, great restaurant and a built-in vibe to it. “We loved it. But we just ran out of space. So, we built our own facility at the other end of town by the lake.” The new facility means more room to move, but not necessarily large and fast expansion. “We are growing every year. But we don’t want to grow too quickly. We have no aspirations of being a national brewery. We like the pace we are at now. Of course, every year we get more tanks, so who knows.” Cannery products are mainly available in British Columbia, with limited distribution in Alberta, Saskatch- ewan, Manitoba, the Yukon and Ontario. This wasn’t Dyck points out that their biggest challenge is keeping up with demand, as opposed to warehousing overstock.
“It’s a problem. But it’s a good problem to have.”
Indeed!
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JANUARY 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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