BREWERY HUYGHE SIGNS NEW EXCLUSIVITY CONTRACT DURING PRINCELY ECONOMIC TRADE MISSION TO CHINA

Melle, 8 November 2019 - During the Chinese trade mission - led by HRH princess Astrid - Huyghe brewery will sign a new 3-year exclusivity contract with Vandergeeten for Delirium - the brewery's main brand - on Wednesday, November 20. By continuing to commit to this local specialist, the brewery wants to grow even further in the Chinese market, which has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. With an expected turnover of 11 million euros this year, China has become the second largest export market for Huyghe, after France.

Huyghe has been active on the Chinese market since 2008, but since the signing of the first exclusivity contract with Vandergeeten - in 2016 - the brewery made a huge leap forward. The volume increased from 8000 HL to more than 30,000 HL between 2016 and 2019, almost a quadruplicate increase! And this year the brewery will realize an (expected) turnover of 11 million euros in China, a doubling compared to last year.

Vandergeeten focuses primarily on the distribution of the strategic brands Delirium, La Guillotine and Averbode. But the brewery also works with 3 other distributors in China for the distribution of other beers from its portfilio: trade fair and gluten-free beer Mongozo, the Fruli fruit beers and Sint-Idesbald. Fruit beers in particular are doing particularly well on the Chinese market.

Princely economic trade mission On 17 November a princely trade mission led by HRH Princess Astrid will travel to China. The princess is accompanied by HE Didier Reynders, HE Pieter De Crem, HE Jan Jambon, HE Willy Borsus, and HE Pascal Smet, and in their wake a large delegation of companies that want to get a foot in the door in the Chinese market. On Wednesday, November 20, Huyghe will sign a new 3-year contract with Vandergeeten during an official ceremony - also in the presence of HE Marc Vinck, the Belgian ambassador to China, and Paul Lambert, Consul General in Shanghai.

Patrick van Leijsen, export manager at the Huyghe brewery and participant in the trade mission, clarifies: “In recent years, the focus has mainly been on Beijing and Shanghai, but in the coming years we also want to achieve growth in other regions. Together with our partner Vandergeeten, we will also be focusing more on off-trade channels in order to continue to grow.”

Yu Xiaoning, General Manager at Vandergeeten Shanghai, says: "This strategic collaboration offers us the opportunity to further strengthen our position as the main distributor of premium Belgian specialty beers in China." Alain De Laet, CEO of the brewery, adds: “China has become our second largest market after France. And it is our ambition to continue to grow by 20% in the coming years. If we can achieve this turnover growth, it will not take long before China becomes our largest export market. And we expect that the rest of the Asian market will continue to grow in their wake. So we are very hopeful about the future.