Europeans and the Dutch drank more Belgian beer last year

Published Jun 12, 2021

Tridge summary

In 2020, Belgian beer exports to European countries saw a growth of over 3 percent, despite the challenges faced by the brewing industry in southern Europe due to the pandemic. However, exports outside of Europe experienced a decline of more than 18 percent. The increase in European exports is largely due to sales in supermarkets, while exports to the UK rose due to stockpiling before Brexit. Despite the overall decrease in beer consumption in Belgium, which was 19 percent lower, the beer industry remains optimistic, attributing it to the resilience of the 'Belgian beer' brand and the gradual reopening of the catering industry. The recovery of the industry depends on various factors, including relaxations, virus variants, weather conditions, and whether a return to 2019 levels is possible by 2022.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

European exports of Belgian beer rose again in corona year 2020, even though breweries in the southern neighbors across the board had their worst year since the Second World War. According to the Belgian Brewers sector association, where the figures come from, more than 3 percent more beer was exported to other European countries. For example, Belgian beers did well in France's largest export market, but exports to the United Kingdom also increased. Due to Brexit, many British sellers still stocked up before the end of 2020. Exports to the Netherlands also increased slightly. Outside Europe, exports fell by more than 18 percent. The difference is in the sales channel. Within Europe, Belgian beers such as La Chouffe, Pauwel Kwak, Chimay, Leffe, Duvel and Jupiler largely end up on store shelves, but outside the European Union Belgian beer is more of a catering product. In addition, last year, due to all the lockdowns, there was much less demand from cafes and restaurants. The latter ...

Source: Nu