Budweiser Budvar tank beer
T&J became sole UK distributor of Budweiser Budvar’s ‘Tankové Pivo’ tank beer system, when they were chosen to be their technical services provider, responsible for assisting with its introduction to the UK.
Paul Jones, Operations Director for T&J, spearheads our tank beer installations, for which he is a specialist in the industry, and has been instrumental in implementing Budweiser Budvar’s UK roll-out of tank beer.
Requirement
Budweiser Budvar premium lager had been available on tap – through ‘Tankové Pivo’ – across mainland Europe for some time. However, in the UK, the beer had previously only been available in bottles. This is because Budvar is only served unpasteurised with traditional cask or barrel beer dispense.
The system
Tank beer is a beer storage and dispense system that caters for high volume storage and delivers superior hygiene and efficiency compared with traditional barrel or cask options. The beer is contained in a polyvinyl in-liner within huge tanks, each of which can hold the equivalent of 10 kegs of beer. These in-liners are replaced every time the beer is replenished, ensuring maximum sterility. It is the most space efficient beer storage method available, and its visual impact greatly enhances point-of-sale. Budweiser Budvar make particular use of this with their copper-coloured tanks, emblazoned with the Budweiser Budvar ‘Tankové Pivo’ logo.
Installations
T&J’s first installation for Budweiser Budvar was at Zigfrid von Underbelly at Hoxton Square, London in 2015. Since then, T&J has continued the roll-out programme in the UK, with the first few installations across London, and then beyond. These have been both as permanent installations and temporary – with the innovative tank beer mobile bar for indoor and outdoor events.
In May 2016, T&J installed its first ‘Tankové Pivo’ system outside of London at Manchester’s Oast House, where customers have taken so strongly to Budweiser Budvar that, by the end of 2016, they had surpassed 100,000 pints sold of the premium lager. Strong consumer response has been the trend across all of T&J’s tank beer installations for Budvar – with the tanks providing both a focal point for a venue, and an unparalleled quality of service.
Client feedback
Simon Warren, Sales & Operations Director for Budweiser Budvar UK Ltd, said “T&J provides us with two services to help us deliver Budweiser Budvar in Tankové Pivo, or tank beer, into the market. Firstly, they perform all Tankové Pivo installations for our customers. Secondly, they provide the logistics to deliver our premium beer to customers, transporting and replenishing the beer, as well as conducting quality checks and line cleaning services.
“T&J always gives fantastic customer service, both to us as their customer and to our client base – which helps build relationships with those we supply beer to. T&J is fully conversant with on-trade customer needs, and the team is flexible in its approach to installation – to ensure minimal disruption to our customers’ operations.
"T&J started our tank beer journey, and we started theirs. They are ambassadors for the product, they have helped us with our national roll-out, both from a marketing point of view, but also in the way they represent the product every time they visit our customers – they offer valuable advice to customers, at all installations and deliveries, be it advising designers on-site or training tips for bar staff on service.
Simon continued: “Customers are looking for premium experiences and are willing to pay a premium price for them. Budweiser Budvar and the Tankové Pivo system both deliver this premium experience and this generates a premium value chain for customers and consumers. T&J supports this, through and through; every delivery they make, T&J checks the beer for its quality when dispensed – ensuring that premium is maintained.
“I would definitely recommend T&J. As a provider of a premium product, their attention to detail, their quality of installation and their drive for efficiency, are of great value to me.”
