World brewing 'first' is toast of Belfast

The world's first craft beer with fully traceable ingredients from source has been launched in Belfast by two entrepreneurial businesses.

The two smaller businesses are Ireland Craft Beers and arc-net, which is pioneering technology to combat global food and drink fraud and protect consumers.

They collaborated to create an innovative beer, Downstream Irish Pale Lager (IPL), that is being brewed using Blockchain technology. This enables every step in the brewing and bottling process to be traced and recorded. The unique collaboration has been facilitated by the Ulster Bank-powered Entrepreneurial Spark hub in Belfast.

Founded and managed by Kieran Kelly, who hails from Banbridge, arc-net has uniquely marked and authenticated each bottle of the new lager, allowing full traceability through the brewery and the supplier network to the ultimate consumer.

The tech company, which has offices in Scotland and the US, has also developed the same approach at Adelphi's Ardnamurchan Distillery, near Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands. And it's working on a project to improve food safety in China.

Customers of Downstream lager can scan a smart code on the label of the beer to be taken to an online experience that allows them to identify every bottle produced.

Established in 2015, Ireland Craft Beers has already secured a listing for the new beer in the popular Honest Brew online store, as well as a major multi-national retailer that is expected to stock another version of the beer in more than 400 stores across the UK.

The company is a successful distributor of craft beers from the island of Ireland to export markets. It is working with Mourne Mountains Brewery in Warrenpoint in brewing the new Downstream IPL and is now lining up business using the new technology as an important marketing tool, according to Liam Brogan, co-founder and director of the beer business.

He says: "More than ever, consumers want to know where their food and drink comes from, so capturing and sharing production, process and product data with customers is central to having a brand that is trusted and respected. Consumers want transparency, they want authenticity, and Blockchain enables that."

The Belfast-based business is already exporting beer, cider and gin from Northern Ireland and the Republic to markets in the Middle East, including the Lebanon, where it has won business with the Fattal Group in Beirut for a 22-strong range of Irish craft beers, ciders and spirits from producers such as Mourne Mountain Brewery, Long Meadow Cider of Loughgall, Shortcross Gin, Crossgar, Copeland fruit infused gin, Saintfield, and Ruby Blue vodka and fruit liqueurs from Moira. Products from the Republic also include Irish whiskey and Irish cream liqueur.

Kieran Kelly, arc-net chief executive, continues: "We are delighted to work with Ireland Craft Beers to ensure consumers are given the opportunity to gain a much greater insight into the product they are buying - and drinking - in terms of its origins and its journey to the shop where they are buying it.

"Our solution gives companies and brand owners the ability to have independent validation of their food quality. It also increases the information flow across the entire supply chain, which helps ensure authenticity, quality, traceability and compliance, based on Blockchain technology," he adds.

The business is also working closely with the internationally renowned Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's University Belfast on projects to address the growing problem of counterfeit products that could pose a threat to health.

Both Ireland Craft Beers and arc-net used the expertise and facilities at the Ulster Bank's Entrepreneurial Spark hub. Lynsey Cunningham, the hub's entrepreneurial development manager, continues: "Ireland Craft Beers and arc-net came together through their involvement with the initiative, and are demonstrating the power of collaboration. This is an innovative venture that has the potential to bring real change to how consumers engage with information about the products they buy."

The Entrepreneurial Spark Hatchery in Belfast provides free space for up to 80 entrepreneurs, with hands-on mentoring, a 'bootcamp' for business planning, and a free programme of up to 18-months of advice, support and expert workshops. Essentially, it seeks to accelerate the growth of start-up and smaller companies.