With Europe's retailers reallocating hypermarket space to various enterprises, Finland's K-Citymarket Tammisto has unveiled what it says is a European first – an on-site brewery.
The outlet, located in Vantaa, north of Helsinki, has developed the microbrewery to meet demand for craft and artisan beers, with products set to be developed 'based on customer preferences', the retailer said.
Beer Production
The store operator, Kimmo Sivonen, has been producing beers at a separate location since 2016, under the Rosendahl brand, but from May, this production will be brought into the store for the first time.
“The dream of having my own brewery inside the store has been on my mind for a long time," Sivonen explained. "The idea originated five years ago, when Finns discovered small brewery products.
"The development has continued at a rapid pace since then, and through our brewery we will be able to respond with agility to our local customers' wishes."
The brewery will have a total production capacity of between 30,000 and 50,000 litres. Planning for the project began in spring of last year, with the acquisition of equipment, much of which has been manufactured specifically for small-space production.
New Products
According to Sivonen, the brewery will be able to "produce and test new types of products very quickly", given its small batch size, with the possibility of enabling customers to order tailored batches for events, such as weddings.
“We have carefully considered the opportunities that our own brewery creates, for example, to reduce or utilise food waste," said Sivonen. "The products from the store’s own bakery can be utilised in the brewery, and the mash generated from brewing can be used for animal feed.
"We want to produce beer as locally as possible," he added.
K-Citymarket is part of Finnish group Kesko, which saw its market share rise to 36.9% last year, as a result of the pandemic, it said in March.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more Drinks news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
