Summer flew by, and suddenly we found ourselves in September. Just as everyone in London knows that October is all about Oktoberfest, September has now clearly become the time to celebrate Czech beer in the city.
The Czech Beer Day has firmly established itself as the biggest B2B event dedicated to Czech independent beer – not just in the UK, but across Western Europe. Hosted at the Embassy of the Czech Republic and organised by the UK branch of CzechTrade, this was already the 11th edition of the event, and it continues to grow every year.
This remarkable growth can be attributed to two main factors. This year, the event was co-organised with our partner Retigo UK, a specialist in combi-ovens and a manufacturer of some of the most innovative and reliable ovens in the world. Their expertise ensured top-class catering, including live cooking sessions that added a dynamic experience to the day. In the morning, Retigo hosted a conference for key distributors and later welcomed both them and end-users (including pubs and restaurants) for an afternoon of food and beer pairings.
UK consumers are increasingly turning away from the usual mass-market brands—whether they’re domestic products or so-called “imported” lagers brewed locally under international labels. Many of these are little more than marketing creations, with some “foreign” brands not even existing in their claimed country of origin. Instead, both consumers and the trade are seeking genuine imported beers with heritage and authenticity. The event featured many of the Czech Republic’s best-known traditional lagers, including Bohemia Regent, Primátor, Kutná Hora and Holba making its UK debut at the event, and the feedback was outstanding!
In addition, the event highlighted artisanal Czech lagers brewed in the purest, most natural form—unpasteurised and unfiltered—from breweries like Cvikov and Jarošovský. These beers offer a level of authenticity and craftsmanship that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.
Lastly, we showcased Czech craft brewers bringing modern, international styles with a unique Czech twist. You may already know Permon’s high-quality ales and lagers, but this year we also introduced Lucky Bastard and Sibeeria to the UK market for the first time—and they certainly lived up to expectations!
The response? Outstanding. All of these beers received strong interest, with pre-orders exceeding our projections. The event resulted in the immediate shipment of 15 full pallets of beer.
