Beers from Turnhout brewery Het Nest now also on the market in Brazil
13/09/2017The Turnhout brewery Het Nest has concluded a contract with a brewery in Brazil. Five of its own beers will as a result be brewed in the South American country, being less expensive than importing them from Belgium.
Het Nest brews beers including KlevereTien, Schuppenboer, KoekeDam, Hertenheer and PokerFace. In its own country it annually produces some 4,000 hectolitres of beer - so about 1.2 million bottles - with the half intended for export.
The brewery is now also moving into the Brazilian market. On Monday it concluded an agreement with Cervejaria Premium Paulista, who will be producing and distributing the Belgian beers under licence.
Brazil is seen as a strongly growing beer market, even if high import levies hamper foreign products. “With the high import levies our beer would be some 40 per cent more expensive than the domestic brands. This position is obviously not competitive with Brazilian beers”, says business manager Bart Cuypers. By brewing in Brazil itself the import levies are eliminated. The country can also have a distribution function for surrounding countries.
According to both breweries, who came into contact with each other through contacts at the Turnhout playing card manufacturer Cartamundi, it is unique for breweries of this scale to launch such cooperation.
Brewing process
Cuypers hopes that in 2019 some 1,000 to 1,500 hectolitres can be brewed in Brazil. One of the challenges in the approach is, according to him, the brewing process itself. The water should be similar to that in Turnhout. The malt should also come from the same supplier, among other things. “The effect of the brewery itself, of the brew kettles and so on, is obviously also insurmountable. We can compensate for this by slightly adapting the recipe.”
Het Nest has 4.5 full-time employees in its own country. The turnover should this year rise to nearly a million euros.
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