Author Archives: Bhavya Desai

Arundeep looks at Brew Pubs to be a game changer

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After successfully being a promoter, that launched Rock & Storm Distilleries is now branching out to start Brew Pubs under the brand name “The Brew Estate” across the country. Arundeep Singla, from Sunam in Punjab, who had launched Rock & Storm Distilleries in 2015 with a clutch of regular, prestige and premium segment beverage alcohol brands, is now onto his second venture establishing the largest chain of brew-pubs in the country under the banner of The Brew Estate. Arun prides himself in the innovative flavours of freshly brewed beer ingredients for which he imports from Germany and UK. Currently, The Brew Estate Network consists of 7 outlets across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, soon to be followed by other markets in the North, West and Southern regions of the country.

The venture is self funded till now. Given the market opportunity and success rate of The Brew Pub since its first launch in 2016 in Chandigarh, Arun is upbeat about attracting investors to fund his expansion.

Arun is the first generation entrepreneur in the beverage alcohol industry. His education in Australia was also instrumental in his entry into the liquor business with special interest in craft beer. Arun is an avid traveller to world brew pub markets to learn and imbibe global best practices in consumer engagement by some of the top leading craft beer brands and brew pubs.

In an interview with Ambrosia, he unveils his plans

What makes you so bullish about brew pubs?

The abundant opportunity in India both in metro and non metro cities for innovative, out of home drinkng experiences will fuel the growth of brew pubs.

What is your impression of the beer market and in particular the emerging craft beer market?

Industry and consumers need to understand craft beer – that which is artisanal, not bulk or mass. Today beer sold in bottles is called craft beer, something that defeats the purpose of introducing craft spirits. Artisanal beer is the future of the spirits industry on the innovation parameter. Large established players in the beer space have little headroom in this category. The consumer for artisanal beers is looking at reinventing his palate experience with beer every few months. Brew pubs like The Brew Estate who have introduced 60-80 flavours in the last three years, are uniquely poised to create a loyal base of consumers purely with the ability to innovate, taste, quality and the whole fine dining experience.

What is the type of pub grub would you like to pair with craft beer?

Fusion cuisine that brings out international varieties with local nuances.

What is the response to the current outlets you have?

Consumers have great brand recall and affinity for The Brew Estate for its ambience, innovation and experience. Brew pub is an evolving category. Consumers are evolving too. Regional variations from North to South need to be factored in when introducing new flavours. The Brew Estate can claim the fastest expansion in the brew pub category compared to any other player. This is a validation of consumer confidence in our brand.  

What is the current ratio of F&B in your outlets?

60/40 ratio for beverages to food. What is the kind of investment you have made in brew pub and expected for your expansion? Currently self funded, we are looking at an investiment of USD 8-10 million for the next phase of expansion.

How is the return on investment in brew houses looking at the competition in cities like Gurgaon and Bangalore? And how will you be different than others?

We have been able to control costs so far as we have stayed away from big cities. Our flavor innovations will drive footfalls and ease out cost pressures when we launch in other markets especially metros.

How many outlets you are looking for in another five years from now?

We are targeting to launch 30 outlets in three years.

The Industry Today And The Opportunities Of The Future

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The first guest speaker at the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference was Andrew Ford, President of the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association. He detailed the four areas of his organisation’s activity – advocacy and helping the industry to defend itself, research, (including a report on young China produced in partnership with TFWA), training, and events. With more and more issues facing the industry, and the policy changes that have been taking place in Europe coming to Asia, airports are, he said, more engaged and more aware of the need for advocacy. The association’s Economic Impact report will, he stated, provide valuable insight into the scale and scope of the industry in Asia.

Copyright: TFWA Press Office

A thought-provoking keynote address from The Economist’s Foreign Editor Robert Guest looked at how the geopolitical climate is affecting trading relationships between the world’s superpowers. He spoke of how societies can be ‘open’ or ‘closed’. Travel, he said, can only be good for the world as it broadens the mind. When you let people in, he concluded, you get the benefit of their ideas and culture – and that makes the world more prosperous.

Next on stage, Kate Ancketill, CEO of GDR Creative Intelligence offered fascinating insight into how ‘new retail’ (combining online, offline logistics and data across a single value chain) will define the retail landscape of the future. Multi-tracking, which sees the same retail space adapted and regularly updated to suit a wide range of consumers, is one of the most important movements that is shaping today’s retail.

3Sixty’s Executive Vice President Roberto Graziani spoke of the retail revolution that started with e-commerce and accelerated with the development of smartphone technology. With 25% of all e-commerce sales in the US already being carried out on a mobile, online channels will soon overtake offline. Effective partnerships to leverage data, strong use of data analytics and innovation are essential for omnichannel to truly elevate travel retail.

Offering an airline’s perspective, Campbell Wilson, SVP of Sales and Marketing at Singapore Airlines said that the airline is usually the anchor in any data consortium. He said that sales can no longer only take place on board, and airlines must go online to give travellers what they want, when they want it.

Copyright: TFWA Press Office

Przemyslaw Lesniak, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail Pacific stated that in the current travel retail market, being a superb retailer is no longer enough. He outlined how he had adopted the welcoming and fun characteristics of the local culture within his own business. More than a brand or retailer, we should actually strive to be ‘an unforgettable host’, he said.

Dong-ik Shin, Director of Concession Planning Team at Incheon International Airport explored the role of retail in the airport of the future. He described a virtuous cycle, in which revenue from travel retail is used to improve facilities and maintain lower charges. This helps airlines to become more competitive and bring in more passengers, which in turn increases retail revenues. Already enjoying duty free revenues which are growing much faster than passenger traffic, his airport’s vision is, he said, to become the world’s best for shopping and dining by 2025.

Duty Free World Council’s President Frank O’Connell took to the stage to announce the launch of an industry-wide training platform, created in partnership with the Institute of International Retail. While face-to-face training can be costly and takes staff off the sales floor, the new programme is a cost-effective way to deliver an internationally recognised educational programme. It will provide clear career pathways which will help to improve staff retention, and build a community of loyal staff which will positively impact returns.

Moving on to the highly pertinent subject of sustainability, Vanessa Wright, Group Vice President of Pernod Ricard stated that increasingly consumers want to work for and buy from companies that ‘do the right thing’. There are a number of simple measures that the travel retail industry can take, such as offsetting, but sustainability should be the responsibility of all in an organisation, not simply that of one department. Her own company’s action plan detailed a commitment to strive for sustainability ‘from grain to glass’.

Gemma Bateson, JTI Worldwide Duty Free Corporate Affairs Director examined the challenges arising from the legislative constraints encroaching on brands’ capacity to market themselves effectively. While regulation is not per se a ‘bad thing’, that regulation, which is often designed for the different circumstances of the domestic market, must be proportionate and sensible. The demand for regulation relating to product labelling will affect all categories, and she called for a united approach in combatting the threat.

Nestlé International Travel Retail’s General Manager Stewart Dryburgh said that there was plenty of room for growth in his category, and confectionery & fine food could be worth US $10 billion in 10 years’ time. Key to this growth is meeting consumers’ three core needs, which are Deeper Connections (meaning how connected consumers are to friends and family); Better for You (the ability to choose healthier products); and Elevated Experiences (which means enjoying a bigger and better experience).

The day concluded with a look into the future of technology from Alan Brennan, Managing Director at creative commercial tech agency dcGTR. He said success within the duty free and travel retail industry will be affected by our ability to research and establish what our customers want. Virtual reality technology can enable us to understand how customers would behave in a store, and what choices they would make, without the need to invest in a physical building.

Worldwide Alcohol Consumption Declines -1.6%

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IWSR 2018 Global Beverage Alcohol Data shows growth in spirits, but beer and wine volume is down; market expected to grow by 3% over next five years.
Beverage alcohol drinkers across the globe consumed a total of 27.6bn nine-litre cases of alcohol in 2018, but while that number represents a decrease of -1.6% from the year prior, new data from the IWSR forecasts that total alcohol consumption will steadily increase over the next five years, to 28.5bn cases in 2023. In terms of retail value, the global market for beverage alcohol in 2018 was just over $1tn, a number which the IWSR expects to grow 7% by 2023 as consumers continue to trade up to higher-quality products. These figures – and more than 1.5m other points of data – are included in the just-released IWSR Drinks Market Analysis Global Database, which also shows:
Gin was the Leading Global Growth Category in 2018, and Forecasted to Reach 88m Cases by 2023
The largest gain in global beverage alcohol consumption in 2018 was in the gin category, which posted total growth of 8.3% versus 2017. Pink gin was a key growth driver, helping the category sell more than 72m nine-litre cases globally last year. In the UK alone, gin was up 32.5% in 2018, and the Philippines (the world’s large

st gin market) posted growth of 8%, fueled by a booming cocktail scene and premiumisation of the market. By 2023, the gin category is expected to reach 88.4m cases globally, with particular strong growth in key markets such as the UK, Philippines, South Africa, Brazil, Uganda, Germany, Australia, Italy, Canada and France. Notably, Brazil has emerged as a new hotspot for the categ ory, with volumes there more than doubling last year and forecasted to grow at 27.5% CAGR 2018-2023, as the gin-and-tonic trend has increased in upmarket bars of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Consumption of Whisky and Agave-Based Spirits Continues to Increase
Spurred by innovation in whisky cocktails and highballs, the global whisky category increased by 7% last year, driven in large part by a strong Indian economy (whisky grew by 10.5% in India, as consumers continue to trade up in the category). The US and Japan posted 5% and 8% growth, respectively. The IWSR forecasts whisky to grow by 5.7% CAGR from 2018 to 2023, to almost 581m nine-litre cases. Also, continued interest in tequila and mezcal (especially in the US), and innovation in more premium variants and cocktails, drove the agave-based spirits category to 5.5% global growth in 2018 – and is expected to post 4% growth over the next five years (2018-2023 CAGR).
Mixed Drinks and Cider Grow
The mixed drinks category (which includes premixed cocktails, long drinks, and flavoured alcoholic beverages) grew 5% globally in 2018. By 2023, it is projected that more than 597m nine-litre cases of mixed drinks will be consumed across the world. The growth is backed by continued strong gains in ready-to-drink (RTD) cans in the US an d Japan, the category’s two largest markets. In Japan, most RTDs are locally made and almost exclusive to Japan. Their popularity is partly due to the fact that they are relatively dry, which makes them more food-friendly and sessionable. In the US, the popularity of alcohol seltzers has been a tremendous engine for growth in the RTD market. In the cider category, as investment levels in those products continue to rise, almost 270m cases are expected by 2023, a 2.0% CAGR 2018-2023. Both of those categories (mixed drinks and cider) are taking share from beer as perceived accessibility increases (less bitter, easier to drink).
Vodka, Liqueurs, and Cane Spirits are in Decline
Vodka lost volume in 2018 (-2.6%) as the market for lower-priced brands continued its decline in Russia and the Ukraine (two of the largest markets for this spirit). Higher-priced vodkas, however, showed a more positive trend last year. Nonetheless, the outlook for total vodka over the next five years remains sluggish as the category is forecasted at -1.7% CAGR 2018-2023. Also in decline is the flavoured spirits category (liqueurs), which dropped by -1.5% globally in 2018, and is expected to continue to slip in 2019 before rebounding slightly in 2020. Cane spirits (primarily Brazilian cachaça) was down -1.6% last year, and is forecasted to lose another 4.5m cases by 2023.
Beer Continued to Lose Volume in 2018, but is Expected to Rebound
Global beer declined -2.2% in 2018, impacted greatly from volume decreases in China (-13%). Other large markets such as the US and Brazil also fell (-1.6% and -2.3%, respectively), while Mexico and Germany saw growth (6.6% and 1%, respectively). The future outlook for beer, however, paints a more positive picture, as the category is expected to show a slight increase in 2019 and post a 0.7% CAGR 2018-2023.
Wine Volume Declines, but Value Increases
Wine, which had posted strong global growth in 2017, lost -1.6% in volume in 2018 as wine consumption declined in major markets such as China, Italy, France, Germany and Spain (the US market was flat). However, though consumers are drinking less wine, they’re increasingly drinking better – pushing wine value to increase. Globally, the retail value of wine is projected at $224.5bn by 2023, up from $215.8bn in 2018. The one bright spot in wine volume is the sparkling wine category, which is expected to show a five-year CAGR of 1.17% 2018-2023, driven in large part by prosecco.
Low- and No-Alcohol Products on the Rise
Low- and no-alcohol brands are showing significant growth in key markets as consumers increasingly seek better-for-you products, and explore ways to reduce their alcohol intake. Growth of no-alcohol beer is expected at 8.8%, and low-alcohol beer at 2.8%. No-alcohol still wine is forecasted at 13.5%, and low-alcohol still wine at 5.6%. Growth of no-alcohol mixed drinks is predicted at 8.6%. (Above figures are all CAGR 2018-2023.)
Top Ten Performing Global Markets, 2018-2023
A look at the world’s fastest-growing beverage alcohol markets shows an emergence across a variety of developing countries. A combination of growing legal-drinking-age populations and healthy economies is driving some of this growth, which is expected to continue over the next five years. “Every year our analysts spend months traveling the world to speak with suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, and other beverage alcohol professionals to assess what is happening market by market in this fast-changing business,” says Mark Meek, the IWSR’s CEO. “The raw data we collect is enormously valuable, but equally important is what that data tells us in terms of trends, challenges, and opportunities facing the industry.”

Beam Suntory India targets $1 billion in sales by 2030

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With leading brands like Teacher’s and Jim Beam, Neeraj Kumar, Managing Director, Beam Suntory, India, is given the ambitious goal of reaching $1 billion in sales by 2030.

As the new MD of India what is your first order of business?

In keeping with our global objective to be the world’s most admired and fastest growing premium spirits company, our ambition in India will be to further develop our business here and join the US and Japan as one of Beam Suntory’s largest markets.

To help achieve our ambition and ensure focus, we have simplified our International region structure and India is now one of three Business Units that comprise Beam Suntory’s International region. In India, with leading brands like Teacher’s, Jim Beam, The Ardmore, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Sauza and premium brands under our House of Suntory portfolio, we have an aspiration of reaching $1 billion in sales by 2030. Our most immediate priority is to build on the current momentum of our premium portfolio across different consumer occasions by leveraging our East-Meets-West competitive advantage. We will also continue to leverage the passion of our people for water and the environment by continuing to commit to initiatives supporting environmental sustainability.

What are the goals and objectives that you have set for the company this year?

We continue to develop our presence in India as a growth engine of the future by unlocking new growth opportunities to build scale. Our Vision into Action strategy leverages three pillars: Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling our Growth. This strategy provides continuity with an added emphasis on premiumisation and doing business the right way. Like in our other geographies, we’re demonstrating the unique power of East-meets-West. We blend the best of the East – including an unparalleled commitment to quality, continuous improvement and Dreaming Big – with the best of the West, reflected in an entrepreneurial, innovative and winning mindset.

While the Indian market presents a great opportunity, there are also a number of challenges. Can you highlight both in your company’s case? Firstly, we see an incredible opportunity with the growing LDA consumer base and premiumisation being witnessed in the market where consumers prefer quality over quantity. The Spirits category is large, yet the route to market can be complex and potentially pose challenges across the various markets in India. Our focus is to build brands which can be trusted and delight our consumers in a responsible manner. A key challenge is to be able to build brands in a scalable and sustainable manner.

How do you plan to get Teacher’s to attain its past growth and market share?

Teacher’s is one of the strongest and most loved Scotch brands in India. It has a resilient brand equity. We continue to see great momentum with Teacher’s and over the past few years we have focussed our efforts and resources to create premium innovations like the Teacher’s Golden Thistle 12YO which has found tremendous acceptance across markets in India. Teacher’s remains a strong consumer choice and in the last few years has grown in line with our category footprint – including during disruptive events like the highway bars ban a couple of years ago.

Which are the other brands you would like to focus on for the Indian market?

We believe Jim Beam has a huge potential in the Indian market especially because of the growing number of Legal Drinking Age consumers who like to experiment with new tastes. Jim Beam is a versatile serve and can be enjoyed with a variety of mixers or just straight. It’s differentiated taste is perfectly suited for young metro consumers who are looking to up-trade to high quality Bourbon whiskey. Globally and in Asia, Bourbon is a fast-growing segment and we intend to build Jim Beam into a fun and vibrant brand.

We are also very excited to scale up our premium portfolio and building The Ardmore, our newly introduced Scotch Single Malt which was voted the best BIO Single Malt in India in the 2019 Ambrosia Awards. The Ardmore is a balanced smoky Single Malt and a new taste for Indian consumers.

While Hibiki Whisky is globally recognised for its taste and quality, in India it still isn’t a very popular name. Do you have any plans to promote it since India is primarily a Whisky drinking market?

Japanese whiskies continue to draw very high attention and interest globally thanks to their exclusive taste and craftsmanship. We are assessing the India market opportunity to decide what would be the right time to introduce our luxury Japanese whisky portfolio in India. Our parent company Suntory is fully committed to support the re-introduction of these brands in India.

Gin is also a growing category in India. What are your plans for the same with Roku being a popular product?

Roku has been a huge success globally since its launch. It is already a familiar name amongst the gin consumers in India thanks to its spectacular presence in duty free and other global markets. We are exploring the India market opportunity to finalise the appropriate time to introduce the House of Suntory luxury portfolio in India.

Which are the major regions that Beam Suntory could see good growth in the Indian market? Are you looking at new territories?

We would like to consolidate our presence in the major whisky markets in India. While the metro cities in India present a showcase and consumption opportunity, the growth in mini metros and towns is spectacular. Teacher’s and Jim Beam enjoy strong distribution and availability across domestic and duty-free channels.

What new marketing initiatives you would like to initiate to take advantage of the growing market?

Growing our presence at the On Trade and Horeca channel is a high priority. Building Sales force effectiveness and focussing on vital consumer touchpoints will be another initiative. We are committed to the strengthening of brand equity and share gains for Teacher’s and drive trials of Jim Beam & The Ardmore At the very top end, consumers can expect our luxury whisky and gin portfolio in top accounts.

Despite the challenges in India, how important is the Indian market for Beam Suntory?

As I mentioned earlier, India is a strategic priority for Beam Suntory. We have an ambitious growth agenda commensurate with our demographic dividend and leading emerging market status. Our robust investments on feet on street, talent and channel expansion reflect a strong commitment from Beam Suntory to the Indian market. Additionally, we are committed to deliver our vision of Growing for Good, protecting water and the environment, giving back to our communities and promoting responsible consumption of our products.

Thibault Cuny appointed as the new CEO for Pernod Ricard India

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Thibault Cuny has been appointed as the new CEO for Pernod Ricard India. He has held the position of CEO and President of Pernod Ricard, Brasil since 2012. He has also previously worked at Pernod Ricard Holding in Paris as Audit and Development Manager and as Executive Vice President – Finance at Pernod Ricard South Asia since 2006.

Cuny has been under the Pernod Ricard umbrella since 2003 and has held various job titles in the company. Pernod Ricard is the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits with consolidated sales of € 8,558 million in 2014/15 and the fastest growing multinational beverage alcohol company in India with a business spanning the entire length and breadth of the country delivering quality products to its discerning consumers.

With leading brands in each segment, Pernod Ricard India holds one of the most comprehensive and Premium portfolios in the industry led by Indian whiskies such as Royal Stag, Blenders’ Pride and Imperial Blue, along with the home grown Wine sold under the brand name Nine Hill and Indian vodka – Fuel. The company also distributes some of the leading international brands including Chivas Regal, Seagram’s 100 Pipers, Ballantine’s, The Glenlivet and Royal Salute Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey ABSOLUT Vodka, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin among white spirits category, Martell  cognac, Jacob Creek wine, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs and G.H. Mumm champagne.

When to bottle craft beer?

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Craft beer which is available mostly in kegs is now moving to the retail shelf. A look at some of the compelling reasons.


As the craft beer demand continues to grow, the more successful craft beer produces have a happy dilemma when growing organically, is moving on from the first phase when the start-up microbrewery only kegs the beer to bottling beers. The margins created by retailing your beer instead of selling it wholesale have sustained the growth of microbreweries. This successful approach has succeeded in generating phenomenal growth in the industry.

Wholesaling only has downsides, mainly for those micro breweries that do not have their own direct chain of distribution. Those without direct distribution have struggled in the past and are the micro breweries most likely to disappear. Microbreweries without their own direct outlets are those that have tended to fail first over the years. The need to have a substantial distribution network was recognised immediately for example by BrewDog in Scotland, and Whitewater Brewery in Northern Ireland.

The important initial capital outlay required to open a microbrewery needs a rapid growth of sales and margins to sustain the business. You have to have a guaranteed high margin from your own distribution from the very start, or you will need deep pockets to sustain the start up from zero. Many of your clients will also want to enjoy their favourite beer at home or on a picnic. And you need to serve them, or they will buy their tipple from the competition. Therefore you need to satisfy this type of consumption by offering bottled beer, pretty soon after starting your brewery. Initially the quantities to be bottled are relatively modest – maybe only 500 or 1000 bottles at a time for each of your various recipes. Initially, therefore, the easy way, although an expensive way, is to contract bottle outside the premises. This seems the way to go. Contract bottling has many disadvantages and could eat into your margins because of extra logistics cost and scheduling. In-house bottling could be the solution. Bottling in-house requires generally more money than anticipated.

More and more fancy craft beer is also showing up in aluminum cans. Five years ago, just a few dozen craft brewers in the U.S. were canning, while today there are more than 500. The beer in a can cools faster. The can protects from beer-degrading light. Beer cans are portable and take up less space, advantages both for retailers and for consumers who want to take them camping, hiking or fishing. There’s also more space on a can for wraparound design and decoration.

While glass bottles take longer to cool down, they also stay cold longer once they come out of the cooler. Plus, glass producers and plenty of brewers will tell you translucent amber glass has been working fine to protect beer from light and air. The biggest selling point for the bottle, though, is flavour. There’s at least a perception that cans impart a metallic taste, whereas liquid stored in a bottle comes out tasting pure. The metal touching your lips is still a factor in terms of flavour, but most craft brewers suggest pouring out beer into a glass before sipping, whatever package it comes in. It may be coolness, or it may be convenience, but the bottom line is, cans are getting cheaper. Bottling in-house remains a simpler, cheaper process. The Brewers Association estimates just 3% of craft beer on the shelves is in a can. Sixty percent still goes out in bottles, and the rest is sold in kegs. Glass has been a very reliable package and tradition will prove itself well that glass is not going anywhere.

In India quite a few microbreweries plan to launch bottled beer brands to cash in on rising demand for India’s craft beer. So far, India has seen just a few craft beer brands such as Bira, White Owl and Simba, sold off shelves despite nearly 170 microbreweries that opened over the past decade. Karnataka government does not allow brewpubs to distribute in-house beer and are permitted to produce a maximum of just 1000 litres a day. Windmills Craftworks will start producing cans of craft beer from their newly-acquired 2000-litre production brewery in Goa. India’s craft beer industry accounts for 2-3% of the country’s beer market which is largely skewed towards the stronger version. The surge of interest in craft beer has been driven by millennials, many particularly interested in this form of beer that is more authentic, premium and has a complex flavour compared to regular lager sold by MNCs.

But making and selling craft beer at a larger scale isn’t easy. Besides licenses and distribution, brewpubs have to wrestle with cold chain supply infrastructure, short shelf-life of craft beer and smaller budgets compared to United Breweries, Ab InBev and and Carlsberg that together control 90% of the market. As a result, many are planning to roll out variants such as hefeweizen, stout and light golden ale – that can survive better in these tough conditions. And some are opting for pricier cans to package their products instead of glass bottles. Cans are lighter, unbreakable, carry more branding information, have little oxygen uptake and do not allow light to enter easily, unlike bottles. International craft beer brands can collaborate and set up bottling plants in India to retail now. Big commercial beer brands are also waiting, and will hop on the craft brewery segment in the next two-three years. Perhaps herein lies the opportunity for Praj, Krones, Alfa Laval and KHS.

Australian Wine Exports Continue To Grow in Value

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With premiumisation on the rise value of exports is going up.
The total value of Australian wine exports increased by 5% to $2.78 billion in the 12 months to March 2019, with the average value per litre climbing to $3.41, the highest level since 2009. Wine Australia Chief Executive Officer Andreas Clark said that the continued growth in the value of exports was an extremely positive trend for the sector.

Mr Clark said that while the volume of exports had declined slightly by 3% to 814 million litres (90 million 9-litre case equivalents), the increasing value overall and on average was overwhelmingly positive. “What we are seeing is a drop in volumes in the lower value categories and this places Australia well as the global consumer premiumises and drinks less but more expensive wines,” Mr Clark said. In the China market we have grown our value again and we are outperforming competitors, with the Global Trade Atlas figures showing that in the year ended February 2019, Australia had a 29% share of the imported wine market – up from 26% a year ago

“We are also seeing positive trends in the USA off-trade market where sales of Australian wine grew 3% in value to US$521 million in the year ended December 2018. Even more encouraging is that Australian wine priced above US$15 per bottle has also grown by 3% according to market monitor IRI Worldwide.” Mr Clark said Australian wine supplies would remain tight in the short term with much of the 2018 vintage yet to hit the market and the expectation that 2019 vintage would be below the long-term average. In the year ended March 2019, there was robust growth in most price segments (see Figure 1) with exports in higher priced categories recording the most significant growth, reflecting global premiumisation trends. In the 12 months to March 2019, the value of wine exported in glass bottles increased 3% to $2.22 billion and decreased in volume 5% to 355 million litres (39 million 9-litre case equivalents). The combination of the increased value and lower volume means that the average value of bottled wine increased 9% to $6.24 per litre FOB, a near-record.

Other packaging formats include soft pack, which increased 12% in value to $15 million and 9 per cent in volume to 7.7 million litres, and other alternative packaging, which decreased by 2% in value to $6.2 million and 10% in volume to 964 thousand litres. Shipments of unpackaged wine increased in value by 11% to $541 million and decreased in volume by 2% to 450 million litres (50 9-litre case equivalents). The average value of unpackaged wine exports increased by 14% to $1.20 per litre FOB. Nearly all destinations imported more Australian wine in the year ended March 2019 than the previous period. North America is still the exception, with excellent growth in exports to Canada unable to outweigh the decline in exports to the United States of America (USA). The regions in growth are: • Northeast Asia, up 8% to $1.2 billion, • Europe, up 3% to $612 million, • Southeast Asia, up 7% to $170 million, • Oceania, up 15% to $107 million, and the Middle East, up 16% to $32 million.

Australian wine exports to China (including Hong Kong and Macau) increased by 7% in value to $1.11 billion and decreased by 14% in volume to 154 million litres (17 million 9-litre case equivalents) in the year ended March 2019.

The volume decline in the China market is confined almost exclusively to exports in the below $2.50 per litre value segment, reflecting both a tightening of Australian supply in this segment and also the increased supply availability from competitors such as Chile. There were 2603 active exporters in the period, a 16% increase from the previous year. During the year, 1786 companies either started exporting or increased the value of their exports, contributing $374 million to the growth in overall value. This growth was partially offset by 1328 exporters whose export value decreased or they ceased shipment altogether; their exports declined by $246 million.

Volume and value growth rates by exporter size illustrate largely positive performances (see Figure 3). While volume decreased by 4% for the largest exporters (those exporting more than 100,000 9-litre case equivalents), all other exporter segments showed healthy growth rates in both volume and value, with the smallest exporters exhibiting the strongest growth.

SHOR- Modern Indian Restaurant and Quarter Bar

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Exactly opposite Santacruz police station is the two month old SHOR. It has a stylish ambience with rustic touches to make it warm and friendly and has a seating capacity of close to 45 people. The bar was well stocked with a wide range of cocktails and mocktails. Chota Bheem is their signature drink. Whisky, Kalakhatta, Chaat masala used in preparation of this drink.

For music there as the in-house system with a live DJ station and Karaoke after 10 P.m. This place has Bollywood nights every Thursday and also a Karaoke night once during the week. They do have valet parking service. Cheese and garlic naan bomb starter is a must try. Tiny naan discs served as starter with cheese and garlic stuffing had the right flavours. With dishes inspired from the western coast, the menu not only includes the names of the dishes, but also the place they are inspired from. Signatures include Khakhra from Gujarat, Tadka Hummus from South India, Amritsari Fish from Mangalore and Prawns Koliwada from Mumbai, find your tastebuds, taking a ride along the coast too. The grill section, includes the basics like, Cheese Seekh, Achari Aloo, Fish Tikka and Masala Prawns. The nouveau main course section has dishes like, Truffle Oil and Okra Khichadi, Chicken Gassi, and Goan Fish Curry and Rice. SHOR promises you endless stories and binging sessions over the course of its journey. With a menu that is carefully hand-picked and curated which is juxtaposed with music, this place is sure to win your heart.