A shift to a delivery model for food and product as well as maintaining its strong community connections has allowed Four Winds Brewing to weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sales and marketing director and co-founder Adam Mills admits the past few months haven’t been easy, but they are thankful to the community for supporting them as they have shifted and pivoted its operations.
“It has certainly been a challenge, but I think our ability to offer our delivery service for our food and product really made a big difference,” said Mills. “It’s been very successful. The support from the community has been really good.”
See more on what Four Winds has been offering at: https://shop.fourwindsbrewing.ca/.
Mills said the fact that they also have an established brand with a good footing in the marketplace has also aided their sustainability.
“We have been in the market for eight years, so we have a well-respected and well-known brand, a good footprint in the local liquor stores, which have remained open and have been busier than normal,” he said. “That certainly helps and puts us in a different position than say some of the newer breweries that don’t have that market footprint or just rely on their tasting room for the sale of food and their product.”
As for their tasting room, which was expanded and re-opened late last year to great fanfare, Mills said they are looking at all their options on how they might be able to open it again following all the health and safety guidelines that are now in place.
“We have just received a copy of the new regulations for openings. We are looking at those and seeing how this might work for us,” he said. “No plans yet, but we are certainly looking at all our options.”
As for the industry as a whole, according to a recent survey conducted by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, more than 60 per cent of Canadian craft breweries could go out of business if pandemic restrictions last another three months.
The survey—conducted April 15 to 21, polled more than 300 of the country’s 1,100-plus craft breweries and brewpubs and found 61 per cent only had cash reserves to last another three months or less, after which they would likely become insolvent. Additionally, 44 per cent of breweries polled said they’ve seen their sales cut in half or more since the COVID-19 restrictions started in March, while 80 per cent of breweries have experienced a drop in sales of 10 per cent or more.
“Even before COVID-19, most [craft breweries] were not yet profitable,” said CCBA executive director Rick Dalmazzi. “Though overall revenues and market share continue to grow, the nature of a small manufacturing business is that it needs constant reinvestment, especially in the early years. What’s more, most craft beer businesses are actually three businesses: a manufacturing company, a licensed restaurant, and a retail store. For these reasons, the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to the Canadian craft beer community.”
Mills points back to their sales and marketing efforts and strong community support which has allowed them to get through the pandemic so far.
“We certainly feel for some of the smaller operations that rely on their tasting rooms. It’s been tough for many,” he said. “For us, we just have to keep doing what we are doing, finding ways to meet our customers’ needs. We truly value and appreciate all of the support and this community."
-with files from ROB MANGELSDORF/The Growler
