Grocers, small restaurants, craft brewers toast Beer Store reforms

Big changes to beer retailing in Ontario announced Thursday include making suds available in up to 450 supermarkets as early as this Christmas, plus better consumer access to craft beers along with a price break for small bars and restaurants when purchasing beer. Grocers, independent breweries and small restaurants are raising a glass to the massive reforms, which were announced as part of a provincial review.

Craft brewers “This is a monumental day for craft brewers and for all consumers in Ontario,” said Cam Heaps, co-founder of Steam Whistle Brewing and chair of Ontario Craft Brewers.

The province says it will make beers from smaller brewers more available and visible in Beer Store locations with improved placement and an increase to 20 per cent from 7 per cent of all shelf space and marketing.

“We believe that this package of funda- mental changes, when fully implemented, will unlock craft brewers’ true growth potential, allowing us to quickly double or triple our direct brewery jobs,” he said.

Grocers About 450 urban grocery stores will be allowed to sell six packs of beer, up from the 300 initially expected to get the green light.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers says it’s pleased that the government report states that “licences will be granted in a manner to ensure a fair representation of privately owned grocers.”

“That’s very encouraging in terms of how these licences are distributed so that they’re not all just going to the big chains,” said Gary Sands, the federation’s vicepresident of government affairs.

Restaurants Ontario’s smaller bars and restaurants are in for a break from continuing to pay higher prices at the Beer Store than ordinary customers now do.

About 9,000 licensed establishments that sell fewer than 250 cases of beer annually will be in line for significant price reductions.

“We have always said that this system is inherently broken,” added James Rilett, Restaurants Canada’s vice-president, Ontario. But he said that “the announcement doesn’t help the bars and pubs that sell high volumes of beer and are currently being gouged on price, but we will continue to work with the government to resolve these issues.”

Beer retailers The beer reforms affect the LCBO, which will be able to sell 12-packs in some locations and offer an online ordering system along with niche and specialty boutiques for craft beer, wine and spirits.

Regarding the massive industry overhaul, Beer Store president Ted Moroz said: “We always operated under a policy framework set out by the government of Ontario and we will continue to work with the government now to implement our next generation of changes.”