Exploring the relative importance of consumer motives when purchasing craft and premium beer, and the ignored role of intermediaries: a preliminary analysis with British consumers

The beer industry has seen substantial growth in the “craft beers” sector. According to Euromonitor (2015) the number of Microbreweries in the UK more than doubled between 2010 and 2015. These numerous small businesses have established microbreweries to sell a range of high quality beers, often limiting themselves to selling within their own region. The brewers often market their products by emphasising some element of the heritage of the area in which they are operating or by trying to create some heritage around the type of brew they are making.