Guinness Brewmaster Gives B.C. Thumbs Up
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
 |
|
GUINNESS Brewmaster Fergal Murray (L) with Doug Embury the Territory Manager for Diageo in Vancouver. |
VANCOUVER - Fergal Murray, the Brewmaster for Diageo/Guinness based in Dublin, recently made a flying visit to British Columbia to visit some of the establishments that sell the Diageo/Guinness product.
He took a few minutes out of his very short and busy schedule to speak with The Celtic Connection about his visit.
"The purpose of my visit is to help the local Diageo brand and sales team to help energize brand Guinness in the marketplace, and they do that very well. It's a great market with some fantastic outlets and retail stores.
"Also, to talk to the sales team to see if they require any further quality information to help them to be tactically working the brand throughout the marketplace, to help energize it, and to get different views and thoughts on it.
"For my own information, I'm also here to check out the quality of the beer, which is what my brewmaster role is all about. And, to see the sights and sounds of a market that is just developing."
Murray explained that Canada is our fourth largest draft beer market in the world and British Columbia has a high potential for Diagio. There is a real beer culture here, you like your beer, and we have a lot of micro brewers.
Canadian people in general enjoy a glass of beer. And, of course, according to Murray, if they are going to be enjoying any beer at all, they should be enjoying the greatest beer in the world....which is Guinness.
He said, "I like our customers to get their Guinness in the best possible condition. That the bars deliver it with reverence and pride to each customer and that they get it the way it is supposed to be delivered.
"I am delighted to say that the quality is excellent here and you get as good a pint in Vancouver and Victoria as you would in Dublin.
"You have some iconic bars here, just some phenomenal great pubs that are doing a fantastic job. I'm very impressed with the real service that you get here.
"The pubs are clean and hygienic, and the staff are brilliant and extraordinarily friendly. Very high on the service level here, and I found that very refreshing."
Fergal Murray has been a brewmaster with Diageo/Guinness for the past 25 years. He joined the company right after college.
Explaining the role of a master brewmaster, Fergal said, "I have the legacy and the heritage at my fingertips of how to make great beer. This is handed down from brewer to brewer, so I have taken on that legacy and been part of the brewing team in Dublin for many, many years.
"What I have been doing in recent years is that I have moved off being pure online brewing, to help communicate more to all our people around about what great brewing is all about. Because if they understand what the product is, then they should be able to find greater ways to market and sell it."
Speaking about Guinness/Diageo and their involvement with community events or festivals, Murray said, "I'm not tuned into how we would work within the local market place here and that decision would be made with our local team.
"But, I can assure you that across the world Diageo is very interested in working with the community, interested in seeing what is happening out there and how we can help."
|
