Members of Molson Coors Growers’ Group are joining forces with employees at Molson Coors Brewing Company and Frontier Agriculture in a charity bike ride, which will take them on a 180 mile journey, from Grain to Glass. The ride, which mimics a joint National Farmers’ Union and British Beer & Pub Association initiative launched at Parliament at the end of last year, will begin at the Molson Coors maltings in Burton-upon-Trent and ends at the company’s brewery in Alton, Hampshire.
The riders will be undoubtedly be in need of a pint by the time they reach Alton, having completed the 180 mile journey, through the heart of England’s barley growing belt, in just three days.
The group, which consists of two Molson Coors employees, a regional manager from European Food and Farming Partnerships (EFFP), the grain trading director from Frontier and four barley farmers, is raising money for The Prince’s Countryside Fund, which provides funding for projects that help ensure the countryside remains the national treasure we all love and enjoy.
Jerry Dyson, category manager for brewing raw materials at Molson Coors:
“I can’t say I’m excited by the prospect of cycling 180 miles, but it is great to raise the profile of the Grain to Glass initiative and the strong relationship between farmers and brewers and the products we produce. That is also why we are cycling in support of The Prince’s Countryside Fund, which promotes a sustainable future for British farming and greater consumer awareness of how things are produced – two aims which are very close our hearts at Molson Coors.”
In 2008, Molson Coors in partnership with Frontier Agriculture, with the support of EFFP, set up the Molson Coors Growers’ Group (MCGG), dedicated to ensuring a regular and guaranteed supply of top-quality malting barley.The members of the Growers Group enter into a 3-year contract with Molson Coors, with price set at the beginning of each year. The Group now numbers about 100 members and provides nearly 30,000 tonnes of barley to Molson Coors a year. In addition, it creates an opportunity for farmers to discuss current issues and share best practice on topics such as resource efficiency and environmental stewardship.
Jon Duffy, grain trading director for Frontier Agriculture, said:
“The Growers Group is going from strength to strength and it’s great that we can build on our successful commercial relationship by organising events that benefit the wider farming community. I’m looking forward to the ride; we’ll be raising money for a good cause and increasing awareness of countryside issues. That said, I’m also looking forward to getting to Alton and lifting the first pint to celebrate the end of our ride!”
David Hall, regional manager for EFFP added “I am very pleased to be involved in something that is raising money for such a worthy cause and an initiative that is being driven by the members of the Growers Group. I hope that we can do the group proud and raise as much money as possible and enjoy the beer along the way.”
Those taking part in the bike ride and raising money for The Countryside Fund are:
David Hall – Regional Manager EFFP
Jake Freestone - Farmer
James Cox - Farmer
Andrew Roberts - Farmer
Mark Blakeway - Farmer
Jon Duffy, Grain Trading Director for Frontier Agriculture
Jerry Dyson, Category Manager for Brewing Raw Materials Molson Coors
Debbie Read, Corporate Responsibility Development Manager at Molson Coors
Those wishing to donate can do so at www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/MCGG.
ENDS
About Molson Coors Brewing Company
Molson Coors Brewing Company is a leading global brewer delivering extraordinary brands that delight the world’s beer drinkers. It brews, markets and sells a portfolio of leading premium brands such as Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Carling, Blue Moon, and Keystone Light across the Americas, Europe and Asia. It operates in Canada through Molson Coors Canada; in the U.S. through Miller Coors; and in the U.K. and Ireland through Molson Coors (UK & Ireland). For more information on Molson Coors Brewing Company and our portfolio of brands, visit the company's website, www.molsoncoors.com.
In the UK and Ireland, Molson Coors has over 2,000 employees and breweries in Burton on Trent, Tadcaster, Alton, as well as the Sharp’s brewery in Rock, Cornwall. It has a market share of over 20% of the UK beer market. Our portfolio includes Carling, the UK's best selling lager for three decades, Coors Light, Grolsch, Worthington's, Caffrey's, Cobra, Corona, Doom Bar, Singha and a range of speciality beers.
Respect for alcohol is one of the guiding principles of the organisation and that is why Molson Coors was one of the signatories to the Responsibility Deal and works with its customers to encourage people to enjoy its drinks responsibly through support for Best Bar None (run by the BII) and Community Alcohol Partnerships (run by the WSTA).
Contact details for further information
For further information contact the Molson Coors Corporate Press Office on 0207 025 6680 or email molsoncoorscorporateteam@redconsultancy.com
About Frontier Agriculture
Frontier Agriculture Ltd is the UK’s largest crop inputs and grain marketing business, jointly owned by Associated British Foods and Cargill plc. The business operates from six main trading offices, and employs 800 people across 41 sites nationwide.
For further information or to arrange an interview with a member of Frontier’s team, please contact Debbie Mather on 07799 861708 or email debbie.mather@frontierag.co.uk
About EFFP
EFFP is a specialist agri-food business consultancy, working along the whole supply chain in both private and public sectors operating in the whole of the UK and other parts of Europe. We combine our farming knowledge with food industry expertise to address structural, commercial operational and relationship issues across the industry, from an objective and independent viewpoint.
With a dedicated team of highly experienced sector specialists, we not only assist individual businesses but also promote new thinking and transformational change across the complete chain.
For further information contact Sarah Moffatt, Marketing & Communications Manager, EFFP Tel: 020 7332 2869 or smoffatt@effp.com
About The Prince’s Countryside Fund:
“Supporting the people who take care of our countryside”
The Prince’s Countryside Fund was set up to support our rural communities and the people who live and work in the countryside. We provide funding to projects which help ensure our countryside remains the national treasure we all love and enjoy. It is supported by a unique collaboration of businesses working together to secure a sustainable future for British agriculture and the wider rural economy. Our aim is to inspire businesses and the general public to show they recognise the importance of the countryside by supporting The Prince’s Countryside Fund.
We have four objectives
• To improve the viability of British farming (targeting the areas of greatest need)
• To improve the sustainability of rural communities (targeting the areas of greatest need)
• To reconnect consumers with the countryside
• To support farming crisis charities through a dedicated emergency funding stream
Projects range from apprenticeships for budding hill farmers, training for young people to gain employment in the rural economy, community transport schemes in isolated rural areas and projects to educate schoolchildren about where their food comes from and why the countryside matters. All the projects focus on supporting the people who care for our countryside and make it tick.
For more information on The Prince’s Countryside Fund, visit www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk or contact Victoria Elms on 0207 566 6659.