Latest news with #beer
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Som Distilleries & Breweries Ltd (BOM:507514) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating ...
Release Date: May 30, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Som Distilleries & Breweries Ltd (BOM:507514) reported a year-on-year total income growth of 13% for the full financial year. The company's EBITDA margin improved to 12.49% from 12.07% in the previous year. Net profit for the financial year increased by 21% to 1,045 million INR. The company commenced construction of a new Greenfield facility in Uttar Pradesh, expected to significantly boost production capacity. Som Distilleries & Breweries Ltd (BOM:507514) achieved a 15% growth in its flagship brand, Hunter, compared to the previous year. Total income for Q4 was down by 12%, impacted by a steep excise duty increase in Karnataka. Beer volumes were down by 10% in the quarter, despite a 22% growth in IMFL volumes. The realization per case decreased from 552 INR to 545 INR due to changes in pack and brand mix. The company faced a significant excise duty increase in Karnataka, which affected sales volumes and revenue. There was a 22% volume decline in certain brands due to the excise duty hike, impacting overall performance. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Sign with BOM:507514. Q: Can you elaborate on the volume decline for the brands Powerful and Legend? A: (COO) The Legend brand was newly established in Karnataka, achieving 2 million cases. The decline was due to a steep excise duty increase in Karnataka, which raised consumer prices significantly. However, the government has since withdrawn the duty, and we expect improvement in the coming quarters. Q: What percentage of your sales comes from Karnataka, and how did the excise duty impact you? A: (COO) Approximately 30% of our sales are from Karnataka. The unusual excise duty increase in Karnataka this year, with two hikes, significantly impacted the industry and our sales. Q: Could you provide details on the CapEx in Uttar Pradesh and its funding? A: (COO) The UP project is a 100% subsidiary, divided into two phases: INR 350 crore for phase one and INR 200-225 crore for phase two. Funding will be through internal accruals and some debt, without any equity issuance. Q: What is the current trend in barley prices, and how does it affect your margins? A: (COO) Barley prices are stable compared to last year. We have managed to maintain gross profit margins through a mix of new and old glass bottles and stable raw material prices. Q: What is your volume growth guidance for FY 2026? A: (COO) We expect a conservative volume growth of 20-22% for FY 2026, which should also reflect in revenue growth. Q: How do you benchmark your performance against industry leaders like United Breweries? A: (COO) While we acknowledge their leadership, our growth and market focus differ. Our margins are higher, and we focus on different key states. Q: What is your market share in various regions, and are you gaining market share? A: (COO) We are the #1 player in Madhya Pradesh, #2 or #3 in Karnataka, #2 in Delhi, and close to #1 in Jharkhand. We continue to focus on strengthening our market position. Q: How are you addressing distribution challenges for premium brands like Woodpecker? A: (COO) We are expanding distribution and addressing commercial expectations with retailers. Woodpecker is available in select outlets, and we are working to improve availability. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
The best beers to buy at Lidl, tried and tasted
It's 30 years since German supermarket Lidl first opened its doors in the UK. In that time it has gained a reputation for offering some cracking, keenly priced food items and superstar wines, but what of the beer aisle? I put Lidl's beer range through a rigorous taste test to mine for quality bargains. This included a selection of Lidl's own-label products as well as some of the well-known brands it offers. The range leans heavily towards lager, as you might expect with research suggesting that over 70 per cent of Brits prefer it to ale. However, it does have a compact but well chosen offering for ale lovers, too. And keep an eye out in the fabled Middle of Lidl for occasional specials; I've seen four-packs of Thornbridge's legendary Jaipur IPA in there at a bargain-basement price and the large 'selection pack' of German beers that is usually released around Oktoberfest is always hotly anticipated. Examining the range as a whole, I quickly noticed that almost every bottle is labelled 'premium'. To paraphrase The Incredibles, if everything is super then nothing is – the descriptor loses all meaning. I therefore tasted the range blind, to prevent undue influence from the packaging or my own personal bias. My final list features those I consider the very best available – as well as a couple that miss the mark and are best avoided. After the big reveal, my verdict is that Lidl offers a number of extremely successful big-name duplicates that offer a lot of flavour at a very competitive price. So if you're accustomed to sticking to your usual brand of beer, perhaps it's time for a taste test of your own. Skip to: Why you can trust us The Lidl beer taste test winners – and losers Cheaper than Madri Cheaper than San Miguel Cheaper than Guinness The five-star beers Why you can trust us Laura Hadland is an award-winning drinks writer, a regular Telegraph correspondent, and author of 50 Years of CAMRA, named the Best Beer Book in the World 2022 by Gourmand International. Her latest book, Beer Festivals, is out now. Read more of her work here.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
The average price of a pint rises AGAIN across UK – how much is booze in YOUR area?
THE average price of a pint has soared to £5.17 across the UK, delivering a bitter blow to beer enthusiasts. The Morning Advertiser's latest pint price survey has revealed the cost of a jar across England, Wales and Scotland is now 34p higher than figures reported by the Office for National Statistics in February. Beer prices have risen sharply as manufacturers and pubs grappple with higher alcohol taxes, soaring utility bills and increased staffing costs. The trade magazine's latest survey, regularly updated, examines the average cost of a pint across London, the Midlands, the North East, the North West, the South East, the South West, Scotland, and Wales. According to The Morning Advertiser, London tops the list for the priciest pints, with pub owners charging an average of £6.10. The cost of popular brands in the capital has also climbed, with a pint of Guinness reaching £6.45, Birra Moretti £7.17, and Camden Hells £7.05 since February. In contrast, the Midlands boasts the cheapest average pint in Great Britain, priced at £4.68. Tennent's lager is the most affordable option there at £3.50, followed by Carlsberg at £3.72. Meanwhile, Foster's and Greene King IPA are slightly pricier at £3.80 and £3.85, respectively. However, The Morning Advertiser's survey revealed that pint prices in the Midlands increased by 5.15% between January and April, while London bucked the trend with a 1.22% decrease during the same period. Meanwhile, beer prices in Wales rose by 3.87%, and the South East saw a more modest increase of 2.54%. The survey also examined the average prices of over 30 beer brands, covering categories including lager, craft beer, cask ale, and stout. Britain's best beer ranked It found that Camden Hells and BrewDog Punk IPA are now the most expensive pints in Great Britain, with an average price of £6.34. Following closely behind are Beavertown Neck Oil at £6.24, Peroni at £6.12, and Asahi at £6.11. On the more affordable end of the scale, Tennent's and Carlsberg emerged as the cheapest options, with drinkers paying an average of £4.23 per pint across England, Wales, and Scotland. Greene King IPA, Budweiser, and Foster's, come with an average price of £4.36, £4.38, and £4.47, respectively. List of most and least expensive pints Here are the most and least expensive pints across Great Britain, according to the Morning Advertiser: Camden Hells - £6.34 BrewDog Punk IPA - £6.34 Beavertown Neck Oil - £6.24 Peroni - £6.14 Asahi - £6.11 Birra Moretti - £6.04 Camden Pale Ale - £5.69 Guinness - £5.56 Estrella Damm - £5.56 Madri - £5.55 Staropramen - £5.53 Cruzcampo - £5.39 Heineken - £5.29 San Miguel - £5.28 Stella Artois - £5.27 Pravha - £5.19 Pedigree - £5.16 Amstel - £5.16 Timothy Taylor's Landlord - £5.12 London Pride - £4.82 Wainwright - £4.75 Coors Light - £4.74 Corona - £4.73 Abbot Ale - £4.70 Carling - £4.62 Tribute Pale Ale - £4.59 Doom Bar - £4.57 Hobgoblin - £4.57 Foster's - £4.47 Budweiser - £4.38 Greene King IPA - £4.36 Carlsberg - £4.23 Tennent's - £4.23 BREWERIES AND PUBS STRUGGLE Breweries and pubs across the UK have struggled in recent years as the high cost of living sees customers' budgets take a dent. The increased cost of brewing and beer prices, as well as rising energy bills have also had an impact. Figures analysed and published by the Altus Group earlier this year revealed over 400 pubs across England and Wales were demolished or converted for other uses in the year to December. This saw the number of pubs across the two countries dip below 39,000 for the first time. More than 34 pubs a month called last orders for the final time over the year - the sharpest fall in pub numbers since 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. UK pub numbers have now plunged by more than 2,000 since the start of 2020. A number of breweries are facing trouble too, including the Fourpure brewing company which appointed administrators in October and the Magic Rock Brewery which said it would bring administrators at the start of the year. Meanwhile, Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) said in November it would stop making eight classic British cask beers following a review. A number of pubs also warned they would have to hike prices for customers this year after the Government's Autumn Budget. Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the national minimum wage both rose in April. But businesses cautioned this would force them into upping the price of drinks as they try and absorb the extra costs. Simon Dodd, chief executive of Young's, said the chain planned to hike its prices by between 2.5% and 3%. Wetherspoons also hiked the price of some of its drinks and meal deals by up to 30p in January. What is happening to the hospitality industry? By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter MANY Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out. Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation. Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny's closing branches. Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs. Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon. Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Pfas detected in US beers in new study, raising safety concerns
All but one of 23 beers sampled for toxic Pfas 'forever chemicals' contained the compounds, new research finds, raising safety questions about one of the world's most popular beverages. The researchers checked craft beer from multiple states, major domestic brands, and several international labels. When possible, they compared the measurements to Pfas levels in the county water supply where each was bottled, revealing a 'strong correlation' that suggests contaminated water is driving most of the problem. The levels were often above some drinking water limits for Pfas. The study isn't meant to scare people away from drinking beer, the authors wrote, but 'inform brewers, consumers, and policymakers in making data-driven decisions about beer consumption and addressing risks'. 'If you want to still enjoy happy hour, then I think you should, but I hope our findings help future happy hours be relatively healthier,' lead author Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, a senior environmental health scientist for the RTI International non-profit, told the Guardian. Pfas are a class of about 15,000 compounds most frequently used to make products water-, stain- and grease-resistant. They have been linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems. They are dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they do not naturally break down in the environment. The levels detected in the beer were as high as 40 parts per trillion (ppt). Drinking water limits for several common Pfas compounds are between four and 10 ppt, though drinking water is more of a risk because people generally consume more of it. The highest levels were detected in beer brewed in the Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina, where the environment has been thoroughly contaminated by Pfas largely stemming from a Chemours chemical plant in Fayetteville. Beer produced there showed some chemicals made at the Chemours plant, and generally contained a wider variety of Pfas compounds. The levels in Cape Fear regions in which public water utilities have installed new filtration systems in response to Chemours' pollution showed lower levels than those in areas that have not. The highest levels of PFOA, a chemical for which federal regulators have said no level of exposure in drinking water is safe, were detected in beer made in Michigan's Kalamazoo county, which also had high levels of the compound in its water. The study also found a correlation between firefighting foam pollution hot spots and Pfas levels in the beer. Firefighting foam contains high concentrations of Pfas and is used by the military, airports and other sources, and is among the leading causes of water pollution. Two of the international brands – from Mexico and the Netherlands – showed no or low levels of the chemicals. Some of the Pfas could stem from other sources, such as wheat or barley contaminated from the use of tainted fertilizers, pesticides or water. Hoses and tubing are sometimes made with Pfas, as are some plastics and packaging. The study did not check those variables. Hoponick Redmon said brewers interested in reducing Pfas levels should install granular activated carbon or reverse osmosis filtration systems, which are the most effective for Pfas removal. Beer drinkers can protect themselves by checking for Pfas levels in the areas in which beer is bottled, and asking brewers if they use the filtration systems.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
One Way to Sell Beer in Britain? Buy Into a Soccer Team.
With a portrait of Queen Victoria watching over him, a 75-year-old man frowned at a pint of something unfamiliar. 'This isn't beer,' Michael Walker said, teasing. He was sitting in a 178-year-old pub called the Victoria (Katz) near Birmingham, England. The drink reminded him of a goat's milk yogurt that he said helped cure his debilitating arthritis. Sitting across from him, his son, Steve Walker, 52, and a friend, Mark Sykes, 60, laughed. It was, in fact, a pint of beer, a citrusy I.P.A. called Cowboy's Payday, that they had placed in front of him. The pair had chosen this particular ale because they support Walsall Football Club. The beer came from an American craft brewery, NoFo Brew Co, which is among the English soccer club's sponsors. The pub, run by a Walsall fan, has a permanent tap of Cowboy's Payday. Michael Walker, a card-carrying member of the Campaign for Real Ale, an appreciation society for enthusiasts of traditionally brewed British beer, kept grumbling as he drank the more modern offering before him. But after a while, his companions noticed that he had downed his glass before either of them. In 2022, when Bryan and Shannon Miles became investors in Walsall F.C., they saw an opportunity to expand their Georgia brewery, which then distributed only in the Southeastern United States. Now, on the strength of its connection to the team, NoFo has 150 accounts in central England and is expanding into Ireland. 'They're doing something very savvy to build that local connection with a craft brewery,' said Ruvani de Silva, a British freelance beer journalist. 'I'm surprised more breweries aren't doing it.' For years, British soccer fans and beer drinkers, often one and the same, have watched American money and methods infiltrate their favorite pastimes. With some exceptions, they've enjoyed it. In soccer that meant big teams (Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United) and small ones (Wrexham, most notably) have been funded by U.S. investors, some of them celebrities. The American influence on beer meant airy beer halls serving easy-drinking ales popped up amid traditional pubs with the warmer, yeasty brews. As the Mileses ventured into two very British realms, they arrived at a particularly friendly time. A Trojan Horse When Mr. Miles was a teenager in San Diego, the English Premier League team Aston Villa invited him to be part of its organization on what's called a schoolboy contract: He would attend school in England while training with a professional soccer organization in hopes of playing professionally. Mr. Miles's parents said no. So he played soccer in college, then got a job in corporate America. In 2010, he and his wife cashed out their retirement accounts to start a virtual staffing company, which eventually became worth more than $100 million. As their wealth grew, they wanted to diversify their assets. When a friend, Joe Garcia, approached them about opening a brewery, they went for it. Next, when another friend asked Mr. Miles if he'd be interested in joining a small investment firm, Trivela Group, to buy soccer clubs, the couple was in. Walsall Football Club, owned by Trivela Group, is in England's League 2, the fourth tier in English football, three below the Premier League. That made it more affordable than larger clubs. It also meant that with some improvements of the stadium grounds and other capital injections, Trivela was able to quickly build value. 'They will follow their heart and wallet with whoever's sponsoring their club,' Mr. Miles said of the team's fans. 'And so it just seemed to me that if we could embed the NoFo brand in that, it would be kind of like a Trojan horse.' In 2023, NoFo became the sponsor on the front of the team's warm-up jerseys. There was already a pub at the 11,000-seat stadium, which had been shut down for decades. Rehabilitating it had been a condition of the purchase of the team. In December 2023, NoFo reached an agreement with an English brewery to produce its beer, rather than shipping it from the United States. That has lately turned out to be a sound decision. It means the uncertainty of the global tariff system won't affect it. Nick Burton, the company's dedicated sales representative, said American beer was considered 'more exotic, more interesting' than other offerings. 'I don't want to get myself out of a job here, but it's not that hard selling it,' Mr. Burton said. In 2024, NoFo produced 2,235 barrels of beer in the United States and Britain. Having begun selling in Ireland as well this year, they expect that number to increase to 3,630. Most U.S. brewers produce fewer than 1,000 barrels per year, according to statistics compiled by the Treasury Department. But it is a top-heavy industry. The largest producers make millions of barrels of beer each year. Craft beer became popular in Britain two decades ago, boosted by a tax benefit given to small breweries in 2002. Aspiring brewers visited the United States to learn more about the process, according to Matthew Curtis, a co-founder of Pellicle, an online magazine about drinking culture. He said breweries were shipping hops from the States so they could have the same ingredients found across the Atlantic Ocean. And although the number of breweries in Britain peaked in 2019, then steadily declined, the country had developed a taste for that kind of beer. NoFo debuted at the Locker, the revitalized stadium pub, in April 2024, and in March of this year, NoFo began selling its beer in Ireland at the stadium for Drogheda United, the Irish team that the Trivela Group bought. The Trivela Group also owns an 80 percent stake in a Danish team, Silkeborg I.F., and founded a soccer team in Togo, Trivela F.C. The Mileses said getting distribution in Ireland had been more difficult than it had been in England. But the experience has them thinking even more internationally. Mrs. Miles said they were considering expanding into other countries in Europe. The Ryan Reynolds Model English soccer fans are accustomed to American investment in their teams. Fans of the Premier League team Manchester United, for example, were famously not delighted by their American owners, the Glazer family. One of the most successful examples of American investment in a small soccer team is Wrexham A.F.C., a team in Wales that the actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny bought. (The basketball player LeBron James is part of an ownership group that controls the Liverpool Football Club.) Their involvement and the money they have spent on the team have made Wrexham a tourist destination, attracted a global fan base and, most important, led to the club's playing well enough to be promoted to a better league in three consecutive seasons. A fourth promotion would land it in the English Premier League. 'You go to Wrexham, and if you went there five years ago, the kids on the streets would be wearing a Manchester United or Chelsea or a Liverpool shirt,' Mr. Curtis said. 'Now you go and everyone is wearing a Wrexham shirt. It wouldn't surprise me if they managed to do the same with Walsall. People are pretty cool with their club having money.' (Mr. Curtis is a fan of Lincoln City, which has American investors. Landon Donovan, a former U.S. national team player, is a strategic adviser for the team.) And Walsall jerseys did become a lot more common around town this season as Walsall F.C. got off to a promising start. By January, it was in first place in League 2 by a wide margin and expected to be promoted to League 1. (The top three teams are automatically promoted while the fourth through seventh place teams enter a playoff for the fourth promotion.) Trivela opted not to sign flashy and expensive players, planning to expand the team's business first. And then the team's fortunes turned, and the standings got tighter. On April 5, Walsall faced Port Vale, a team that was threatening Walsall's standing atop the league. The winner would leave the day in first place. The Victoria (Katz) opened at 10 a.m. so fans could drink before going to the stadium about two miles away. In England, drinking alcohol on the grounds is illegal during a match, so attendees drink their fill in advance, at halftime and afterward. The Locker buzzed before the game, with every seat filled and a line to get drinks. Groups made up mostly of men gathered around high-top tables or picnic benches, their voices echoing in the cavernous space. 'It's a family affair for us,' said Dale Birkett, 51, who was there with his father and his 22-year-old son, Joe. 'My dad, he used to take me in the mid- to late '80s.' 'We just really want to get out of this league, don't we?' Joe said. 'We've been in this for far too long.' Joe and Dale Birkett were both drinking Cowboy's Payday, saying it was less boring than going for beer they could get just anywhere. But the eldest Birkett, Dale's father, refused. Walsall scored early, but lost. The Port Vale fans sang taunts. After the game, Walsall's supporters returned to the Locker, but they shuffled in this time, glumly. Matters didn't improve. By the end of the day, the team had fallen to fourth place; it would end the season without being promoted to the higher league. Still, after the loss to Port Vale, fans kept their post-match plans at the Victoria (Katz). Beer was the move after a win, and the move after a loss. 'There's a few Walsall fans in here,' the bar's owner, Jason Paddock, said. 'They've come to commiserate.'
