Bungard and Muz Moeller, of Ghost Brewing, have teamed up and launched the New Zealand Beer Exchange in the wake of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The pair had spent a year developing the site.
This is a sales platform pitched as a "one-stop shop" to buy and sell local craft beer, direct from brewer to bar, reported Stuff.
"The idea was to speed up cashflow for our producers," Moeller said. "It is an online beer sales tool. It is a new and complete way of connecting brewers and bars with advertising, sales, logistics, all in one place."
The exchange offers a brewer to bar point-to-point logistics service from anywhere in New Zealand. Bars have to pay upfront, which would help producers with cashflow.
"It's time to get ready for the new world," Moeller said. "It's not going to be the same when the lockdown eventually eases and bars reopen, it's a good opportunity to improve things. We are spending level three getting people signed up and prepared."
Small craft brewers are struggling to get their products in front of hospitality outlets outside their region, according to Stuff.
The team has partnered with PBT Transport, who have built the booking system, to make it work. Moeller is hopeful it would lead to future employment opportunities.
"People are going to be looking for work and hopefully this system will provide some in the future, I'm excited about the opportunity to potentially grow some jobs from this," Moeller said.
