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"EoinMag":2vbstkcf wrote: They take the likes of Hoegaarden and make it generic and I believe not a patch on the local original
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Good example, but to be pedantic I did ask for recent examples (thinking Goose Island et al) and I was three-ish in the mid eighties! (though other members here might disagree and say the mid-eighties was recent <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> )

My viewpoint on this is that this issue is a microcosm of a much broader issue faced by the Irish Agri-food industry.

What I mean by this is that industries such as O'Haras start up small with a certain set of values (in this case craft brewing for want of a better word), and if they do well and grow there comes a certain point where these values do not apply. I don't for a minute believe that it follows on that the product has to suffer in this changeover/metamorphoses.

The broader scale I refer to would be the big indigenous Irish food producers (Glanbia, Kerry Group etc.) that I believe have gotten so big that its only a matter of time before they "rationalise" and move production abroad to places with lower operating/production costs. With the resultant lose in jobs that this will entail. This wouldn't be a problem if there were other companies to take up the slack. However there isn't the medium sized companies there to step into the gap left by the big guys as most producers are too small to do so. We really need a conveyor of producers of all sizes, so that when one goes another can step into the breach, in order to promote a healthy and sustainable agri-food sector (and to promote jobs, jobs, jobs).

I also believe that the Irish Government and state bodies have realised this which is why there has been a push on Irish food products, craft and otherwise, in the last little while. Be prepared to hear the word "Artisan" a lot over the next ten years!

Similarly, and that is why I love the idea of Beoir, we have to promote the Irish Craft Beer sector and all the producers contained within so that when and if one does step up to the next level (and I hope more and more do) that there is another there to step in and take their place. This, I feel, is the way to a healthy and sustainable craft beer sector in this country and will ensure that we will always have the option of consuming beverages from small craft producers in the future (as opposed to what has happened in the past).

Does that make sense (I'm writing this at work looking over my shoulder for the boss)? Just my two cents. What do the producers think?

&amp;quot;donnchadhc&amp;quot;:2ke79vrj wrote: The broader scale I refer to would be the big indigenous Irish food producers (Glanbia, Kerry Group etc.) that I believe have gotten so big that its only a matter of time before they "rationalise" and move production abroad to places with lower operating/production costs.[/quote:2ke79vrj]
That has already happened. Just one example: Kilmeaden cheese (Glanbia) hasn't been made in Kilmeaden in a long time. At one stage it was English cheese made to spec. Not sure where it's made now.

&amp;quot;Tube&amp;quot;:1miug1b9 wrote: That has already happened. Just one example: Kilmeaden cheese (Glanbia) hasn't been made in Kilmeaden in a long time. At one stage it was English cheese made to spec. Not sure where it's made now.[/quote:1miug1b9]

Exactly, but could you imagine if that happened in someplace like Charleville? <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: --> And it will <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( -->

&amp;quot;donnchadhc&amp;quot;:1rvw94t5 wrote:

&amp;quot;Tube&amp;quot;:1rvw94t5 wrote: That has already happened. Just one example: Kilmeaden cheese (Glanbia) hasn't been made in Kilmeaden in a long time. At one stage it was English cheese made to spec. Not sure where it's made now.[/quote:1rvw94t5]

Exactly, but could you imagine if that happened in someplace like Charleville? <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: --> And it will <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( -->[/quote:1rvw94t5]

-That's what happens when you can't convince customer's to pay more for "local" and "craft". A problem we obviously have with Irish Craft Beer, too.

I understand that as an organization representing Irish craft beer consumers, why WE might not want to draw comparisons between craft beer and macro beer or local and foreign, but someone HAS to do it. -The small breweries guys MUST make the case for why "craft" and "local" is worth paying more for. The big guys can just advertise "we're better 'cause we say so" and it's ok because they're going to win the price war even if they don't convince people that they're simply better.

I truly hope that the Irish craft breweries form their own organization so that they can make the case for "craft" and "local" in the category over all as they're the only ones who really CAN do it. THEY have to convince the customer that it's something that's worth paying more for because we "can't" do it without alienating ourselves as "those beer snobs that no on will pay attention to". -That's the party line that I'm dutifully towing, anyway.


Adam

&amp;quot;Biertourist&amp;quot;:3utc99zz wrote: That's what happens when you can't convince customer's to pay more for "local" and "craft".[/quote:3utc99zz]I think it's the complete opposite. It's when local and craft become so popular they're unsustainable, so they move and new local and craft grows up behind them. The overall quality of the product in that sector increases.

Small breweries becoming big breweries is what we want to see, IMO.

[quote:vo5e3906]Small breweries becoming big breweries is what we want to see, IMO.[/quote:vo5e3906]

I agree with that if the small breweries don't loose the passion for making good produce. If its a case that they become BIG breweries and produce Macro beer just to make money well that another brewery lost rather than something gained for our side of the industry.

I understand that all companies need to grow and strive to be the biggest they can but if its at the cost of the craft product they produce then its not worth it in our case.

Basically it about companies not selling out (and by this I don't mean selling up)