For several years, French consumers have been diversifying their consumption habits and moving away from traditional wine, a symbol of the country, in favor of a rapidly growing market: beer, and more particularly craft beer.
The development of numerous craft breweries over the past fifteen years in every French region has disrupted a market previously dominated by major international groups.
The beer market worldwide and in France
The beer market is a global market worth more than 300 billion dollars. More than 200 billion liters are consumed worldwide each year. This trend has been rising since 2014.
In France, average beer consumption is 32 liters per year per inhabitant, also an increasing figure. The sector accounts for more than 64,000 jobs. France is Europe's leading producer of brewing barley, the world's leading exporter of malt, and a major explorer of beer in general. The country ranks as Europe's 8th-largest beer producer, with 28% of its production exported within the continent.
Large retailers and major industrial producers account for three-quarters of sales in cafés, hotels, and restaurants. However, individuals are increasingly turning away from industrial beer in favor of craft beers from breweries in our regions. For the past decade, craft beer has continued to gain market share, rising, for example, from 7% to 8% of the total market in 2020.
Enthusiasm for craft beer
Previously driven mainly by industrial beer, the French beer market is undergoing a revival thanks to consumers' enthusiasm for craft beer and regional breweries. Consumers' new expectations for greater quality and flavor, as well as French-made and local products, are overshadowing industrial beers and their market. Craft beers aim to be local and reflect their terroir, revealing unique and distinctive flavors of their own.
Consumers are also seeking a higher-quality beverage made with raw materials produced in the region and natural ingredients - barley, wheat, hops, and oats - and nothing more. The trend toward buying local and eating (consuming) better, observed in recent years, has also spread to the beer market. The various brewing methods used from one brewery and region to another also make it possible to sample a wide range of very different beers.
Barley and hop producers
France offers ideal climatic conditions for growing barley and hops. Today, the country is the world's 2nd-largest exporter of brewing barley, with a production of 3.6 million tonnes of barley in 2018, grown across more than 1.6 million hectares.
The development of the French brewing landscape over the past fifteen years and the market's growth have contributed significantly to the increased demand for French hops and the desire among craft breweries to source locally.
The hop industry was mainly concentrated in Alsace and the north of the country. Primarily focused on exports, it is gradually reorganizing around the domestic market. For some time now, we have been seeing strong growth in hop fields throughout France. There is now an interprofessional organization for hop growers and brewers. Organic hop farming has also emerged to meet the market's increasingly significant demand for organic beer.
The explosion in the number of breweries in France
Until the 1970s, standard beers accounted for up to 70% of volumes. Today, they account for only 20% and decline by an average of 6% to 8% per year. In the 1980s, the rise of specialty beers, followed by craft and special beers, significantly transformed the beer market.
In barely 30 years, the brewing sector has grown from around thirty breweries to more than a thousand. In 2007, there were 200 craft breweries in France. Since 2013, around one hundred have been established each year. Today, there are more than 2,000 microbreweries across the country.
The geographical distribution of these breweries is highly diverse. They are found in every region of France (the North, Alsace, Brittany, the Southwest, Burgundy, Provence, and more). These new brewers are young and are giving beer a new face that is more modern and respectful of the environment.
Great diversification that attracts consumers
When attending beer tastings, we note that craft beers are predominant. Craft beers offer greater diversity in terms of ranges, flavors, and aromas. This diversity allows French beer to appeal to a very broad audience. As a result, industrial producers are also seeking to diversify their beer offerings. However, they will never be able to compete with craft breweries in terms of quality, conviviality, or the unique flavors offered by the beers produced there.
Industrial producers have also changed their communications and advertising to adapt to consumers' new desires. They seek to project an image of quality at a low price, even though their production is not artisanal. Beers from craft breweries do in fact always contain higher-quality ingredients (hops, malt, barley, and so on), which is valuable from a culinary perspective, particularly for food and beer pairings. This product quality is also why the general public is consuming more and more craft beer.
Over the past five years, the French beer market has grown by 1.8% in cafés and restaurants, 4.2% in total volume, and 5% in retail. This market is driven by quality beers: specialty, premium, and craft beers account for two-thirds of the market volume. The development of French and regional craft beers, fruit beers, and even alcohol-free beers is booming, as is the growth in their customer base. The beer market is also particularly stable and predictable. Beer can be consumed all year round, in every season, both to refresh you in summer and to bring a little warmth in winter. It can also be enjoyed on every occasion: during celebrations, as an aperitif, in the evening, or during a lunch break.
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