The Brew pioneer
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| Biere Club-taste a wide range of craft beer |
“We are the first craft Brewery in south India. Our objective is to introduce fresh beer in small batches, using the finest ingredients with traditional methods”, Arvind Raju, the managing director of Biere Club said. Way back in 2000, Microbrewery industry was primitive, and there were no brew pubs in India. It was then, Arvind Raju along with his sister Meenakshi Raju, evolved with a new industry- the microbrewery (small brewery that possess small batches of beer) serving craft beers (different flavours of beer). ‘Biere Club’ is a contemporary way of enjoying every sip of flavoured beer.
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| Arvind Raju |
“We wanted to establish ourselves as business people”: Prior to coming up with the microbrewery, Arvind Raju and his sister worked in the corporate world for five and 15 years respectively. They had a calling from their family to join their home business and specialize in the hospitality industry. However, they wanted to establish themselves as business people first.
Being a hotel management student, Arvind’s idea was to permeate into the food and brewing industry. They learnt that F & B industry was only limited to nightclubs, lounges, restaurants and pubs. It was no different. India was offering limited versions of beer- kingfisher and SabMiller being the popular ones. The idea of creating own home made flavoured beer made them think of a business plan. This gave birth to “Biere Club”.
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| Arvind Raju and Meenakshi Raju |
“Creating own brand”: Arvind and his sister visited and approached Brewkarz, Singapore in order to receive the franchise for India which couldn’t happen and at the end, the brother and sister joined hands together to create their own brand- The Biere Club in 2011.
“It has created a huge amount of employment”: Once the business plan was set out for execution, they found out that there was no concept or policy of microbrewery in India. They approached government, to the concerned department which helped them in every possible manner. Once the industry was all set to work, the employment pool got increased tremendously. The brewery jobs were only limited to the big brands then. The opening of “The Biere Club” widened the chances of employment not only in the restaurant services but also in the raw material supply and manufacturing of the brewing instruments and equipments.
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| A glass of chilled beer |
“Discover Better”: “We are becoming better day by day”, Arvind said. Their tagline mentions, “Discover Better”. From 2011, they have been manufacturing more than 400 different types of beer. They have always provided something new and rarely repeat the same. They have a wide variety of craft beer ranging from Ale, Lager, Stout, Wheat, Seasonal or Club special. Their Mango Beer is in high demands in summers. Organgina Lagar sits at the top in the appreciation list.
Along with beer, their outlandish food menu has also succeeded in satisfying customer’s taste buds and is always mentioned in their gastronomical talks. Their Mexican and Greek food seemed easy to go with beer- chicken Souvalaki is a must to taste if one checks in Biere Club.
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| The food-Biere Club |
Frequency of brewing: ‘Biere Club’ sells about 8000 litres of the popular beverage, a month, per outlet. They modify food menus every 6 months. On being asked, they mentioned that they generally pre-plan their brewing calendar for the upcoming three months.
“Team of professionals”: Out of her interest and passion to seek knowledge, Meenakshi had done an online course on brewing industry. They hire employees across all levels in their company. “We believe in hiring professionals and then allowing them to perform”, Arvind stated in a confident tone. All the brewing technology and process are handled by professionals. Every other person comes up with an innovative idea in the brain storming session for different flavours. If it tastes well and sate everyone's soul then they decide to go with it. “We want the professionals to come out with their best. The team is young, energetic and innovative”, Arvind remarked.
Rohit Parwani, the head brewer, takes care of brewing operations. While Julius Jack, the corporate chef, take care of entire kitchen operations, Shaun Kenworthy, the director of F & B, is a guide and well-wisher of ‘Biere Club’.
Ideology behind the business: “Deliver whatever you promise is what I and the entire team believes in”, Arvind said. He further added that if the company promises to deliver best quality of beer and service, they should make sure they should deliver the same. The company receives the best raw materials and equipment delivered from Europe to have the best beer on the table. “I believe in providing the right support from the backend for them to perform in the front. I work as a H.R manager of the company, I take care of the staff and they take care of the company”, Arvind vocalized. He mentioned that one has to follow rules and regulations of the company and he in turn monitor them. That’s how they are successful in retaining their clients.
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| Choose your beer and quench your thirst! |
Sustaining the business with ReservationDiary : The application, Reservation Diary helps in understanding customer’s needs and preferences. The process is easy and hassle free. This includes capturing of customer’s needs into the database and then providing a better service to the customer. “Reservation software was really been helpful, not only is it meant only for reserving a table but also helps in sustaining our business, Arvind stated.
Challenges faced: ‘Biere Club’ didn’t have competitors when they started. To sustain in the market, they had to be innovative. Customer retention has been one of their greatest challenges. “People stick to you if only you are innovative”, Arvind remarked.
Future goals: Biere Club is looking forward to expand their business. They already have two outlets in in Bangalore, one is situated in Vittal Malya Road and the other, in Whitefield. They are raising funds to expand across cities.
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| The crispy fries |
A message to young enthusiasts: The brewing industry is an ocean in itself and has a lot to offer. According to Raju, one can fulfil one’s dream of opening a brew house or a pub, as it demands huge capital, one can even think of opening a brew school, suppliers of raw materials and brewery equipments. “What is important is Discipline in whatever you do”, Arvind signs off.