Hofmeister

Idea

Introduction

Demand for premium world beers, worth £2.5 billion in 2019 in UK hospitality, has gone up. Since the re-opening of the industry it accounted for 33% of all lager sales by value in the second quarter of 2021, up six percentage points from the same period in 2019.

Yet Bavaria, that brewing powerhouse visited by over 6 million people each year just for its Oktoberfest is missing, in any meaningful way, from the global world beer brand line up. Italy, Spain, Czech Republic and Belgium are all well represented, but ask your average beer drinker in the street if Bavaria makes wonderful beer and they nod their head, ask them to name one and they scratch it.

Once the fourth biggest selling beer brand in the UK with a brand valued at £100m, today Hofmeister still enjoys over 40% brand awareness amongst UK adults in its category*. Now as consumers look to upgrade their drinks, we're ready, with the help of our iconic bear George, to fill the Bavarian sized gap in the premium world beer market.

Substantial accomplishments to date

- Tripled turnover and number of serving outlets in the last 12 months

- Fourth most recognised brand to UK consumers in the premium world beer category*

- National wholesale listings

- Export business growing in Singapore, Norway & Finland

- Won listings in exclusive accounts such as The Connaught Hotel and the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

- Expanded our range to include award-winning new lines - Hofmeister Weisse and Ultra Low

- Chosen as the premium German lager by Lufthansa for their first class & business lounges

- Gained off-trade listings that include Ocado, Virgin Wines, Drink Supermarket and Beer Hawk

- Won 12 industry awards for quality since relaunch

*Based on a survey of over 2000 people commissioned by Hofmeister, and carried out by Yonder, an award-winning data collection company

Monetisation strategy

On trade - Selling Hofmeister Helles, Weisse and Ultra Low into on trade outlets across pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels & clubs in both draught keg and bottle format. Hofmeister is already on sale in over 250 of these accounts and is growing rapidly.

Off trade - We are growing an off trade business through online retailers, craft bottle shops and high end wine merchants/off licences where our premium price point and positioning is upheld.

Ecommerce - We have our own online direct to consumer e-commerce presence offering all our beers and merchandise, this is a significant and growing area of our business in which we plan further investment as our customer base grows.

Export - We have won distribution into Singapore, Norway & Finland where we are seeing Hofmeister perform very well. We look to further expand exports with distributors who have access to the parts of their local market that will suit our premium offering.

Use of proceeds

People and systems - We will expand our growing team of regional Sales Managers to establish a presence across the whole UK. Investment in a new IT system will also future proof our operational capabilities and scale as we grow.

Targeted consumer digital marketing & PR - With George back on the scene, we will invest in targeted digital marketing and PR to drive brand awareness and get the UK’s beer drinkers following the bear once again.

Trade Marketing - We will put significant investment into a launch program for new outlets pouring Hofmeister. We aim to excite staff and consumers alike, ensure quality and add an injection of the personality that we want to be known for.

Hardware - Our exceptional beer sits alongside fonts, glassware and mobile bars of outstanding quality. We will continue to invest in production of this hardware to support rapid growth of distribution.