AB InBev has set its sights on sourcing 100% of the barley used in UK-brewed Budweiser from the UK, with an eye to turning the country into an export market for malting barley.
The move comes after the brewing giant announced last week it had scaled up the amount of barley grown in the UK from zero to 50% over the past three years, under its SmartBarley programme.
The initiative was symbolic of AB InBev’s “committed presence” in the UK, said its UK & Ireland president, Jason Warner. “Supporting our growers is a big part of both our business and our Better World commitments. SmartBarley is tangibly helping growers drive agricultural productivity, innovation and resilience, while reducing environmental impact.”
It comes as sales of Budweiser rose a whopping £57.8m (18.6%) to £368.7m over the past year, winning the brand fourth place in The Grocer’s Britain’s Biggest Alcohol Brands 2017 report. Bud’s core lager accounted for £55.1m of that growth, with recently launched Bud Light contributing £4.4m [Nielsen 52 w/e 22 April 2017].
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