Belgians beer up in the world

The Chequers Inn in Binham, southeast England, has served local ale to its customers for more than 400 years. Manager Steve Chroscicki says that these days beer from Belgium is popular.

"People like to try different things," said 45-year-old Chroscicki, who estimates one in 10 drinks he passes over the wooden bar originates in Belgium. "I'm a brewer by trade and, loving beers, I decided to branch out."

Two years ago, he introduced Belgian ale, ranging from cherry-flavoured Kriek to double-strength abbey brews, to his rural village of 273 residents. Led by Inbev's Stella Artois lager, Belgian brewers such as Benedictine monasteries and family-owned firms are looking overseas for growth in the US$416 billion ($596 billion) market.

Exports of Belgian beer rose 29 per cent last year and will probably exceed home consumption for the first time in 2005, says the Brussels-based Confederation of Belgian Brewers.

France, the Netherlands and Germany are the biggest importers. The US, where total Belgian beer sales jumped 52 per cent last year, follows Britain in fifth place.

"The palate of the average British beer drinker is becoming more discerning," said Ian Targett, who selects alcohol for Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer.

"Where once lager drinkers were not so selective, they now favour brews that are more flavoursome and, dare I say it, sophisticated."

Last year, Belgium exported 870 million litres as US consumers, who discovered French wine in the 1980s and Colombian coffee in the 1990s, turn to Belgium for their beer.

But while importers in America are increasing their stocks and staff, the opposite is happening in Belgium, where sales slid 1.5 per cent in 2004 to 670 million litres.

Across the market, beer sales dropped 2.3 per cent because consumers prefer non-alcoholic drinks and spend less time drinking in local bars and cafes.

At Philippe Lefebvre's brewery in Quenast, 30km southwest of Brussels, domestic sales this year will slip to a tenth of total revenue of 4 million ($7 million). Last year, he considered halting local sales, ending 125 years of tradition.

Benedictine monks of the Cistercian order, known as Trappists, have sold beer to fund charitable work for at least 500 years.

Today, six abbeys continue the tradition while others license commercial breweries to work for them.

"Sales abroad are increasing because like other brewers in Belgium, we're developing exports as the Belgian market becomes more difficult," said Philippe Henroz, marketing manager of Bieres de Chimay.

The company bottles and sells beers brewed in the Trappist abbey of Scourmont in southern Belgium.

"The monks haven't got an economic focus like normal shareholders but they want to earn a stable revenue to give to good causes," Henroz said.

The 18 monks at the abbey of Orval, about 180km southeast of Brussels, use less than half the profit from 9 million of annual sales for maintaining buildings. The rest goes to charity.

"Unlike the usual owners of companies the monks are not expected to unceasingly look for improving their economic wellbeing," said Francis de Harenne, who manages Orval's beermaking under the supervision of the monastic community.

"Ensuring a peaceful place of spiritual life is more important than any purely economic aim."

- BLOOMBERG