You may not have heard of SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers and Associates), as it is a trade organisation that represents over 1000 independent breweries across the UK, as well as suppliers to the brewing industry. This week they launched their newest, and possibly most important campaign yet – the Indie Beer Campaign.
What is the Indie Beer Campaign, and why is it so important?
The aim is simple; to inform you, our customers, which beers you drink are brewed by genuinely independent breweries. Why is this important? Once-independent craft breweries are being bought by global companies, but this information is not reaching the consumer, as these companies are still marketing their products as “craft”.
The campaign follows newly published YouGov data which showed that 75% of people felt that beer drinkers were being misled by global companies marketing their brands as independent craft breweries. The same YouGov survey found that 40% of its participants believed Neck Oil’s Beavertown to be independent, when it is owned by Heineken. Other brands in the study included Camden Hells (Budweiser) and Sharp’s Doombar (Molston Coors).
The Indie Beer campaign isn’t about starting a witch hunt, but about offering transparency. In a post-pandemic world where the number of breweries closing is scarily high, beer drinkers are becoming more conscious of supporting their small, local independent breweries. The Indie Beer campaign is a tool to ensure these beer drinkers aren’t misdirected; it is simply levelling the playing field.
How Will Indie Beer be identified?
Independent breweries who support the campaign, including ourselves, will be adding the newly trademarked Indie Beer logo to products over the coming months. SIBA have also launched a new website with a “beer checker tool” that allows consumers to quickly check if a brewery is independent. This tool, as well as more information, can be found at www.indiebeer.uk
