Coles partners with brewery to help companies affected by coronavirus

The coronavirus crisis is devastating small breweries and wineries – but a new deal is throwing them a lifeline and benefiting booze lovers.

Coles has thrown a “lifeline” to small booze businesses across the country which have been crippled by the coronavirus outbreak.

The pandemic has decimated many independent wineries and breweries, which in some cases have seen 90 per cent of their market vanish following the introduction of stage three Government restrictions.

The restrictions have led to the temporary closure of restaurants, bars, pubs and other venues in a bid to slow the spread of the illness and flatten the curve.

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But now, supermarket giant Coles has partnered with Melbourne brewery Hop Nation, with the deal helping 24 breweries and small businesses across the country directly impacted by the closure of bars and restaurants amid COVID-19.

In response to the crisis, Coles introduced a new local sourcing program which aims to provide a revenue stream to small producers who have been forced to close or limit trade.

Hop Nation is among the first producers in Victoria to benefit from the initiative – and they’ve called on 23 of their brewing mates from across the country to jump on board too and sell their product to Coles Liquor stores.

Within a week, Hop Nation banded with a dozen independent breweries in Melbourne to assemble a mixed case of “Communitinnies” craft beers, distributing 50 pallets to 220 Coles Liquor stores in the state.

Now, Coles is taking their mixed case nationally to more than 900 Coles Liquor stores, and the company has partnered with other independent brewers like Grifter, Akasha, Wayward and Stone & Wood in Sydney, Brisbane’s Hemingways, Big Hop and Newstead brewery, Adelaide’s Big Shed and Moo Brew and Melbourne’s Bodriggy, Brick Lane and Stomping Ground.

Coles has partnered with Hop Nation – a Melbourne-based brewery – to throw a lifeline to 24 breweries and small businesses across the country directly impacted by the closure of bars and restaurants amid COVID-19.

The 12-pack Victorian mixed case is now available at Vintage Cellars, Liquorland and First Choice Liquor Market, and a 24-pack with some of the country’s best brewers will be in stores in the coming week.

Hop Nation’s co-owner and general manager Sam Hambour said the opportunity to sell craft beer to Coles has been vital in supporting business turnover for small independent brewers during the isolation period.

“For most breweries, between 40-60 per cent of beer goes into kegs and out to bars and restaurants. For us, 60 per cent of our market disappeared overnight,” he said.

“This opportunity with Coles has allowed us to sell beer that otherwise didn’t have a home. “It’s created an avenue for independent craft breweries to move beer that wouldn’t have reached the punters.”

Coles business category manager for Vintage Cellars Ed Scully said Coles Liquor had jumped at the chance to support Aussies businesses.

“We believe in supporting local producers and have been thrilled to offer Hop Nation and their network of breweries the opportunity to sell their product though our stores, which will hopefully make up some of the business lost as a result of recent bar and restaurant closures,” he said.

“We know that many of those producers impacted by current events are doing it particularly tough, so we are looking to support by offering our customers the chance to purchase their much-loved local wines, beer and spirits at their local Coles Liquor store.

“We’ve received hundreds of applications since launching our new local sourcing initiative two weeks ago and will continue to work closely with producers in Victoria and New South Wales to support as many producers as quickly as possible.”

Coles Liquor will continue to work with existing suppliers to source more volumes of local products, particularly in regions local to the producers.

Wineries, brewers and distilleries in Victoria and NSW interested in supplying to Coles Liquor can contact 1800 547 563 or [e-mail].