A sector that started with Zaganu brewery in 2013, a company that today has grown to about EUR1 milion revenue, microbreweries have reached 15 million lei (EUR3 milion) revenue together, which accounts for only 0.3% of the total revenue the companies in the beer manufacturing industry posted. However, craft beers are much more visible and even make major actors adapt and launch similar products.
Ziarul Financiar on Tuesday did a review of the small beer businesses, considering the craft beer brands have reached thousands of locations from hypermarkets to bars and specialist stores.
A ZF analysis of the data on the listafirme.ro website shows that there are about 100 small brewers registered in Romania, less than half of which posted more than zero revenue. In addition, more than 20 companies are registered in 2018 and 2019, so the financial results will be available next year.
Second leading after Zaganu is Berarium, a company that owns the Clinica de Bere brand, which posted RON1.8 milion revenue last year. Third is HH Brewery, which owns the Hop Hooligans brand. Fabrica de Bere Buna is the largest employer, with 20 employees on average in 2018, according to Finance Ministry data. Companies like Berarium, HH Brewery, Matache Beraru (Ground Zero) and Capra Noastra have more than four or five employees. Usually the small entrepreneurs work in the breweries they started.
Other craft beers available in specialist stores and beyond are Mustata de Bere, Bere cu Miere, Amon Ra Olovina, Oriel Beer, One Beer Later, Amistad Beer and White Collar.
“Together with other breweries we improved the quality of the products leaving the Romanian craft breweries. We are part of a community where people help each other when they have opportunity to do so. This removes a of the challenges of a business,” says Adrian Biebel in Timisoara, the founder of Bereta.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)