The Chimay brewery was part of the delegation of businesses that accompanied King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on their State visit to India. While there, it concluded an agreement to distribute its beers within India, joining forces with the Flemish brewery Huyghe, which produces Delirium Tremens, in order to reduce the costs involved in entering the market.
The two breweries have chosen the Indian distributor Hema Connoisseur Collections Ltd, which will distribute their beers throughout India.
Chimay Red and Gold are the two Trappist beers that Chimay will market in India. They are still brewed inside the abbey under the supervision of monks, and the majority of the profits will be used to support social projects.
As Edwin Dedoncker, General Manager at Chimay Beers & Cheeses, explained to the press, "Let's be clear about this: we are and will remain two premium brands. Both our beers are refermented in bottles. These are real speciality beers. This is why we need a local partner used to positioning products such as wine and champagne. We will work with the importer, who already handles the Châteauneuf-du-Pape brand. We have clearly chosen a strategy that will allow us to enter high-level segments, such as 4- and 5-star hotel bars. We will then target the restaurant and catering trade and more conventional hotels. We are not aiming for volume in India. We will sell bottle by bottle and be patient, so we can position the concept over the long term rather than going for bulk volumes.
Chimay exports 60% of its volume outside Belgium. The brewery has had a presence in China for 20 years as well as in the rest of Asia - Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand; India became the obvious next step. India will actually have the world's largest population by 2025. Beer is also part of its consumption pattern, with Indians drinking three billion litres a year, a figure that increases 8% annually. Consumption could potentially increase from 2.5 to 26 litres a year, as has happened in China over the last 25 years.
