Asahi UK first to train entire commercial sales force with WSET beer qualification
Author: Communications Team
Date: 29 10 2024 09:00
Tuesday 29 October 2024, London - WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust), the global leader in drinks education, today announces that Asahi UK has become the first national Field Sales and Technical Operations team to take its new Level 1 Award in Beer.
More than 80 sales and commercial employees from Asahi UK - owners of super premium beer brands including Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Asahi Super Dry, and Fuller’s London Pride - took the WSET course for beer.
The Level 1 Award in Beer, which WSET launched earlier this year, provides both trade professionals and beer enthusiasts with the product knowledge and tasting skills to become more beer confident. Available online and in-person, Level 1 covers the foundations of beer production, styles, service, food pairing and tasting and results in a globally recognised qualification. It supports the suite of services Asahi UK offers to pubs, bars and restaurants across UK and Ireland.
A unique feature of the course is WSET’s trademarked Systematic Approach to Tasting, which equips students with a universal language to describe what they’re tasting and a framework for assessing quality. Members of Asahi UK’s sales team completed the Level 1 course using WSET’s Online Classroom, which gives students the digital flexibility to study in their own time. The in-person examination, completed in test conditions, was then executed as part of a team training day to upskill employees for their current and future career.
Natalya Watson, WSET Business Development Manager for Beer, said:
“We’re delighted that Asahi UK is the first commercial sales force to take our Level 1 beer qualification. We’ve had some great feedback from their employees that doing the course has really helped to elevate their understanding of the different varieties and styles available in the broader beer category and, in turn boosted their confidence with sales and customer service.
“Asahi UK has achieved a real first here for the beer sector. We hope that more drinks companies will take advantage of the opportunity to upskill their teams through WSET’s qualifications and enable them to develop the knowledge and skills they need to perform at their best.”
Craig Nelson, Director of Sales at Asahi UK, added: “We have an unrivalled premium portfolio at Asahi UK, and we pride ourselves on delivering an unrivalled consultative customer service to match. That means that we equip our team with the knowledge and expertise across commercial, category, technical and operational elements but at the heart of our role is the product itself. An excellent understanding of beer is the foundation of our commercial and technical team, so we committed to invest in training through WSET, the global leader in drinks education.
“WSET’s qualifications have a strong reputation worldwide as the industry standard for knowledge, and Asahi UK is thrilled to be the first field sales and technical operations team to help set this new standard in the beer sector.”