#217 | The Price of Premiumisation

Meet Pete Brown. Pete, as many of you will know, is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink. In his latest columns for the Sunday Times he’s discussed everything from supermarket beer to where to turn when nothing catches your eye on the bar. And last year he released his latest book ‘Tasting Notes: The Art and Science of Pairing Beer With Music’. Across thirteen books, his broad, fresh approach takes in social history, cultural commentary, travel writing, personal discovery and natural history, and his words are always delivered with the warmth and wit you’d expect from a great night down the pub. While Pete gears up for a busy summer sharing his expertise along with excerpts from his books such as ‘Clubland – How the Working Men’s Club shaped Britain’, we are revisiting his excellent talk from our 2025 Brewers Congress In his lectures Pete discussed the concept of premiumisation, emphasising its long-standing presence in marketing and branding. He highlighted that premiumisation is not solely about price but encompasses desirability, luxury, and necessity. He also noted that since the 1970s, products have become more reliable, leading to overconsumption and a shift towards experiences. Pete also addressed how big brewers define premium, often inconsistently, and stressed the importance of consumer perception over corporate definitions.