In a radical move away from its traditional strong ales portfolio, Fuller’s is launching its first blonde beer to compete with Belgian brands.
The beer, Discovery Blonde, has an abv of 4.2% for the bottled version, and will be available in the off-trade in June following its launch in pubs.
“This is a great undiscovered corner of the market,” said drinks consultant Pete Brown. “The fact it is a blonde ale means it should be clean and refreshing but with a bit of body.”
One of the strong selling points of Discovery, according to chief executive Michael Turner, is the fact that Fuller’s invested in producing a beer that could be enjoyed both chilled and at room
temperature. The beer adds to Fuller’s core portfolio, which includes London Pride, but with an alcohol content slightly lower than many Continental lagers it is expected to appeal to lager drinkers, both male and female, as well as its traditional customers.
“Some of the most exciting things happening in the market are beers starting to experiment cross-culturally. The US is now looking at century-old British recipes and we should really be taking a leaf out of their book by looking at other styles like Belgian beers to get some fresh new ideas,” said Brown.
The beer will be branded as ‘blonde’ and will be positioned in retail outlets alongside London Pride in the premium bottled ale section with an rsp of £1.69 for a 500ml bottle. Like London Pride, bottled versions have a slightly higher abv than the on-trade version to maintain the characteristics of the beer, said Turner.
The launch will be supported by branded glassware, sampling activity, consumer promotions and competitions as well as online, radio, consumer and trade press advertising.
Sonya Hook
The beer, Discovery Blonde, has an abv of 4.2% for the bottled version, and will be available in the off-trade in June following its launch in pubs.
“This is a great undiscovered corner of the market,” said drinks consultant Pete Brown. “The fact it is a blonde ale means it should be clean and refreshing but with a bit of body.”
One of the strong selling points of Discovery, according to chief executive Michael Turner, is the fact that Fuller’s invested in producing a beer that could be enjoyed both chilled and at room
temperature. The beer adds to Fuller’s core portfolio, which includes London Pride, but with an alcohol content slightly lower than many Continental lagers it is expected to appeal to lager drinkers, both male and female, as well as its traditional customers.
“Some of the most exciting things happening in the market are beers starting to experiment cross-culturally. The US is now looking at century-old British recipes and we should really be taking a leaf out of their book by looking at other styles like Belgian beers to get some fresh new ideas,” said Brown.
The beer will be branded as ‘blonde’ and will be positioned in retail outlets alongside London Pride in the premium bottled ale section with an rsp of £1.69 for a 500ml bottle. Like London Pride, bottled versions have a slightly higher abv than the on-trade version to maintain the characteristics of the beer, said Turner.
The launch will be supported by branded glassware, sampling activity, consumer promotions and competitions as well as online, radio, consumer and trade press advertising.
Sonya Hook
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