Last week I had the pleasure of joining all our members from across the continent for The Brewers of Europe General Assembly meetings in Warsaw – a vibrant city steeped in emotions, history – and, as we also discovered, a well-established beer culture. It was a truly energising couple of days that brought together passionate professionals from across Europe, all united by a common goal: to collectively, positively and proactively shape the future for brewers and beer in Europe.
The highlight was the election of Christian Weber as The Brewers of Europe’s new President. As previous Vice-President and member of The Brewers of Europe Board since 2016, as current President of the Deutscher Brauer-Bund and as CEO of the Karlsberg Brauerei KG Weber, Christian brings a wealth of experience, vision, determination and a collaborative spirit to the job. These traits will be invaluable as we tackle both the opportunities and challenges ahead to shape a policy framework that puts beer and brewing at the heart of Europe’s growth, competitiveness and sustainability objectives.
We also paid tribute and gave thanks to Christian’s predecessor, Lasse Aho who, as President for the last five years, successfully guided The Brewers of Europe through some of the most tumultuous years both for Europe and for brewers, as we endured a Covid pandemic, followed by an energy crisis and an ongoing war on the EU’s doorstep. With the new European Commission and Parliament in place, Lasse helped ensure The Brewers of Europe is well-positioned to partner with the EU Institutions in driving forward some of its priorities.
The General Assembly also elected a new, 10-member Board, with Carlsberg’s Graham Fewkes named as a Vice-President and four new members joining: Harald Bredrup from Norway’s Mack brewery, Gabriela Popova from Bulgaria’s Britos brewery, Phil Whitehead from Molson Coors and Dragos Constantinescu from Asahi. As well as Lasse, the Board also bid farewell to three other outgoing members, Paolo Lanzarotti, Jonathan Neame and Sergey Yeskov. These events are moments to witness the changing of the guard, to show our gratitude for those who have served dutifully, and to welcome those coming in.
But we weren’t only in Warsaw for these elections. Whilst an undoubted highlight, the General Assembly meeting also had a dynamic roundtable discussion amongst the delegates on the priorities and future strategies in the short and medium term for The Brewers of Europe. When it comes to delivering on this, it will require all countries and all members coming together and working towards our common goals.
One of the unique pleasures of our industry is that our product naturally brings people together. Warsaw provided the perfect backdrop for informal networking over a glass (or more) of beer, with a special focus on Polish brews. Our gala dinner also included the Polish State Secretary for Agriculture, recognition if ever it was needed for the interdependence of farmers and brewers. Great beer relies on great ingredients: malted barley and other cereals, hops and then fruits and spices for some of the more specialty styles too.
Before everyone left for home, there was still time for a first informal meeting of the newly elected Board, whilst other General Assembly delegates headed off for one last team activity – a city trip through Warsaw that took in poignant reminders of Europe’s troubled past but also offered a clear view, through the late morning Warsaw sunshine, of the positive contribution that Poland makes to Europe.
After a weekend back in Brussels, I’m already today in Budapest and feeling more optimistic than ever about the road ahead. This week has kicked off with the EBC Symposium on Sustainable Packaging for Beer, organised by our technical arm the European Brewery Convention. The focus: innovations in beer dispense, keg and tank-beer installations. We are an industry rooted in tradition but constantly evolving, and gatherings like our General Assembly and the EBC Symposium, with well over a hundred attendees, are essential to fostering the connections and creativity that keep us moving forward.
I look forward to building on the momentum created in Warsaw and now Budapest. Here’s to continued collaboration, bold ideas, and – of course – a great beer to celebrate every step along the way.
Cheers!