Brewing, Beer and Pubs ― A Global Perspective

The production of beer today occurs within a bifurcated industrial structure. There exists a small number of large, global conglomerates supplying huge volumes of a limited range of beers, and a plethora of small and medium breweries producing a diverse range of beers sold under unique brands.

Brewing, Beer and Pubs addresses a range of contemporary issues and challenges in this key sector of the global economy, and includes contributions by research specialists from a variety of countries and disciplines. This book includes the marketing and globalization of the brewing industry, beer excise duties and market concentration, and reflections upon developments in brewing and beer consumption across the world in order to explore the wide-reaching influence of this industry. Alongside these global topics more localised themes are presented such as market integration in the Chinese beer and wine markets, beer and brewing in Africa and South America, and turbulence and change in the UK public house industry, which demonstrate how the consumption of beer in pubs and other social environments make the beer industry integral to local communities and regions worldwide.

Ignazio Cabras is a Reader in Economics, Business and Management at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University (UK). He is also an Associate Fellow of the York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis at the University of York (UK). In recent years, Ignazio has led several research projects investigating the significant role pubs play in rural areas, contributing to measure and unveil the positive impact of these businesses on local communities, economies and supply chains. He is an active member of the Beeronomics Society and chaired the third Beeronomics Conference in 2013, the first organised and host by a British institution.

David Higgins is a Professor in the Accounting and Finance Division at Newcastle University Business School (UK). He has published articles on Bass' trademarks and business strategy during the nineteenth century, and the corporate strategies of some of the UK's leading brewers. His main research interests include the protection of intellectual property and corporate governance.

David Preece is Professor Emeritus, Teesside University (UK). He has also worked at the universities of Portsmouth, Coventry, Bradford and Leeds. His research has focused around the managerial, people, human resource management and development issues associated with, and implications of, organizational and/or technological change. Specific projects include change and restructuring in UK public house retailing, the education and development of business executives, and talent management policies and practices.