INDIA – UK-based importer Trident Traders is set to introduce the popular Indian lager Haywards 5000 to the European market for the first time, beginning with a launch in the UK.
The family-run wholesaler and alcohol importer, established just over two years ago, identified a market gap for higher-strength Indian lagers in the UK. Haywards 5000 boasts an alcohol by volume (abv) of 6.3 percent.
“It’s a lager with a little bit of extra punch,” said Sasikumar Ganesan, director of Trident Traders. “We want to expand and establish it in the UK. You’ll not find a lager with 6.3 percent abv in the UK – it’s all IPAs or stouts. This is unique.”
Haywards 5000, created in 1984, is one of the largest-selling premium beers in India. The first shipment of Haywards 5000 arrived in the UK two weeks ago, and the brand is already available in select restaurants in London.
Ganesan plans to broaden its presence across the country and has begun discussions with national UK supermarkets and wholesalers to stock the brand.
Following the UK launch, Ganesan aims to expand into France, Denmark, and Norway, with further plans to penetrate the rest of the European market.
Haywards 5000 is part of AB InBev’s Indian brands portfolio, which also includes Budweiser Magnum, Knock Out, and Becks Ice. AB InBev has stated it is not directly involved in Trident Traders’ import plans.
The launch of Haywards 5000 in Europe comes on the heels of strategic advice given at the International Beer Strategies Conference in Portugal.
Damm international business unit director Juan Gonzalez urged drinks companies to invest in world beer lagers, emphasizing the importance of having multiple world beer lagers in a company’s portfolio.
Gonzalez estimated that such brands form 30 percent of beer sales in the UK, including names like Damm, Peroni, and Moretti.
GlobalData analyst Kevin Baker, also speaking at the conference, noted that the move towards premium products has been ongoing for over a decade and represents a value-driven proposition.
According to GlobalData, global beer value sales are projected to grow at a 3.9 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2023 and 2028, while volume sales are expected to see a slower growth rate of 1.3 percent over the same period.
In 2022, the super-premium and premium beer categories experienced growth of 5.8 percent and 5.6 percent respectively, compared to the previous year, comprising just over a quarter of total beer sales.
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