It’s really exciting being new into the beer category. I’ve been at Asda for 18 months and I started at Asda in the spirits team so beers, wines and spirits is all I’ve known.
I’m really enjoying getting to know all of our beers and the different styles, as well as meeting with our suppliers and working on the strategy ahead. We work with both large businesses and small craft breweries so it’s such a great mix. There’s so much going on and I’m really excited to be learning more about the industry.
My go-to drink would be a gin or white wine. However, I'm starting to get into drinking beers more and more – I like a beer with fruity notes.
I want to keep the range fresh and up-to-date. We need to make sure we have the right products that our customers love, available and on the shelves of their store.
One of our local partners is Bad Co who we've worked closely with to develop and launch a range of affordable and exclusive craft beers – they're great quality and there's a style for everyone. We also stock a number of non-exclusive beers and throughout the year we have a seasonal line which rotates to keep the range relevant.
We work exclusively together on one of their ranges, which includes a west coast pale ale, American IPA, Denver Milk Stout and Next Day IPA which is also a low alcohol alternative. I haven’t visited their brewery yet but it’s something I’d love to do in the near future. It will be great to see the workings of a smaller brewery and learn more about them.
I don’t think we’ve seen the peak of the craft beer trend yet and there’s still so much growth and innovation. It's an exciting time to join the team!