Sake Industry Boosting Promotion in Britain

London, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–The sake industry is boosting its promotion of the alcoholic drink in Britain, where interest in the Japanese rice wine is rising thanks to the growing popularity of “washoku” Japanese cuisine. The Times newspaper has published a feature on sake, and local supermarkets have begun selling the drink. An industry source said that “appealing directly to consumers is key” to overcoming problems such as the rising trend to drink at home following the COVID-19 pandemic and younger consumers’ growing preference for low-alcohol and nonalcoholic drinks. “If we can’t sway consumers, retailers will not handle (sake) and the popularity will not increase,” said Rie Yoshitake, who has been promoting sake in Britain for about 20 years. While some 80 pct of sake imported to Britain is for Japanese restaurants, many people do not order the drink even if it is on the menu, according to Yoshitake. The promoter is focusing on holding tasting events in a bid to expand sake’s consumer base, as she believes it is important to introduce consumers to the drink. She held a two-day event through Saturday in London to promote Japanese cuisine and alcoholic beverages. Sake is slowly making inroads into the British retail market. Supermarket chain Waitrose Ltd. began selling sake last year, as internet searches for sake grew 3.4-fold from a year before. In order to sell sake at Waitrose, known for handling only items that sell well, Miho Komatsu, an overseas marketing official at Akashi Sake Brewery Co. in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, said that her company focused on simplifying designs and steadily promoting the drink through tastings and consumer education programs. Akashi Sake Brewery plans to distribute sake to a major wine retailer as well, and Komatsu said she anticipates growth in sales. A pub manager in western London said that sake’s high prices are a challenge in selling the drink, but said that it meets the taste of young people who like low-alcohol drinks. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]