Asahi UK Unveils First-to-Market Consultative Draught Quality Programme for Pubs & Bars

• Asahi Draught Quality Programme uses live insight in partnership with Bar Analytics to support pub & bar operators in tackling wastage and maintenance needs in beer lines

• Asahi UK becomes the first major brewer in the country to offer consultative, data-backed approach to quality at scale, enabling pub and bar operators to drive sales & profits through best practice

• Operators who are part of the initiative have seen average yield improvements of +5-8%

LONDON, UK. Asahi UK is announcing the launch of a new trade initiative – the Asahi Draught Quality Programme – a data-led programme designed to tackle beer wastage, protect premium pint standards for consumers and drive tangible profits back to hospitality operators.

Developed in partnership with bar equipment and insights firm Bar Analytics, the programme enables pub and bar operators to move beer quality measurement away from subjective opinions and into operational data. The technology provides operators with clear insights — identifying temperature changes, line efficiency, and maintenance cycles to prevent costly waste before it happens.

Having benchmarked the technology across 2,500 operators during the past three years, Asahi UK is now installing Bar Analytics tech as standard across all new operators, equipping Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Asahi Super Dry stockists with the tools they need to pour the perfect pint every time.

Where food operations are held to strict hygiene and operational standards through regulatory bodies, the cellar, beer and associated equipment often sit outside of these evaluations. The Asahi Draught Quality Programme has been developed to demonstrate the importance of investing in beer dispense for consumer satisfaction and venue profits.

Asahi UK estimates that 30% of all draught beer sold in the UK is dispensed through unclean lines. The result is beers with spoiled flavour and presentation, wastage and customer dissatisfaction.

As a brewer whose leading brands – Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Asahi Super Dry, Fuller’s London Pride and Cornish Orchards – sit within the premium bracket, Asahi UK has become the first manufacturer in the country to demonstrate at scale the data-backed benefit of maintaining high quality standards when serving premium products.

The programme has identified that venues that clean their beer lines frequently (every seven days) using a premium chemical and correct technique, grow their profitability through reduced wastage and improvement in repeat purchase by up to +15%. In addition, support from Asahi’s draught quality team has seen draught yields improve by +5-8% on average with some sites seeing more than +10% growth by implementing real change in how they manage beer.

Simon Heath, Draught Quality Standards Manager, Asahi UK, said: “Previously, beer quality has tended to be measured subjectively and emotionally – by opinion – but against a commercial backdrop where millions of pounds are lost annually in draught waste, using data generated from our draught quality programme enables us to have factual conversations about quality with our customers.

The Asahi Draught Quality Programme sits alongside a broader array of specialist trade resources available by working with Asahi UK. The business has built alliances with leading line-cleaning chemical specialists and glass-washer manufacturers, which operators can tap into. In addition, Asahi UK is also the only major brewer still running in-person cellar management training courses monthly, available at its Chiswick headquarters.

Craig Nelson, Director of Commercial Operations, Asahi UK, said: “As a business, Asahi UK invests millions each year in brewing premium products and marketing their quality, but until now we’ve been unable to guarantee the conditions of the final few metres – between keg and glass – in venue.

“Unmaintained lines lead to a poor experience for the consumer and financial loss and inefficiency for the venue.

“Our focus at Asahi UK is on delivering a quality consumer experience in the on-trade by collaborating with our operators to maintain high dispense standards. This naturally drives further success for the operator, and we are introducing quality-related incentives to further drive the implementation of the programme. Quality is more important to us than maximising distribution and we actively review the key quality metrics during this process and suggest removals where the quality of the dispense is not delivering for the retailer, the consumer and Asahi UK.”

Operators who want to find out more about how their business can benefit from the Asahi Draught Quality Programme can contact their account manager.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Asahi UK

Asahi UK is a subsidiary of Asahi Europe & International and is responsible for sales, marketing and customer operations across the UK and Ireland. Through its portfolio of super-premium beer brands, Asahi UK enriches consumer experiences through innovation, high-quality service and an exceptional portfolio of premium beer, ale, and cider brands, which include Peroni Nastro Azzurro (PNA), Asahi Super Dry (ASD), Meantime, Fuller’s London Pride and Cornish Orchards. The Woking-based business is focused on developing quality, super-premium brands and delivering commercial value in the marketplace, through a strong belief in collaboration, customer excellence and people development.

For further information please contact Chris Dillon via chris.dillon@brunswicknorth.co.uk.

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