Asahi UK is a subsidiary of Asahi Europe & International, responsible for sales, marketing, and customer operations across the UK and Ireland. Their portfolio includes premium beer, ale, and cider brands such as Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Asahi Super Dry, Meantime, Fuller’s London Pride, and Cornish Orchards.
Discover how large-scale WSET beer training helped Asahi UK staff improve product knowledge and boost confidence ↓
“An excellent understanding of beer is the foundation of our commercial and technical team, so we committed to investing in training through WSET, the global leader in drinks education.” - Craig Nelson, Director of Sales at Asahi UK
The challenge
At Asahi UK, the commitment to developing quality, super-premium brands means that beer knowledge within their commercial sales force is more than just a nice-to-have. It’s essential for teams to be beer confident when building trust with customers and maintaining a premium reputation.
The solution
Asahi UK utilised the WSET Level 1 Award in Beer to provide comprehensive training to 82 team members. The online module enabled efficient large-scale training with straightforward materials, facilitating rapid execution. The team gained an excellent understanding of beer, which is fundamental to their commercial and technical roles.
The results
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Enhanced product knowledge: The training raised the standards of beer and product knowledge across a diverse team, with 90% of participants reporting improved knowledge after the course.
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Customer engagement: Two key Asahi customers, LWC Drinks and Drake & Morgan, have since requested similar training for their teams.
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Commitment to development: Demonstrated Asahi UK’s dedication to developing people and talent.
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Industry recognition: Being the first full commercial team to commit at this scale reinforced Asahi UK’s reputation and premium credentials in beer.
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Increased confidence: Staff were empowered to speak more confidently with customers and consumers.
Customer testimonials
"“Asahi UK is thrilled to be the first field sales and technical operations team to help set this new standard in the beer sector.” – Asahi UK team member
“An excellent understanding of beer is the foundation of our commercial and technical team, so we committed to investing in training through WSET, the global leader in drinks education.” - Craig Nelson, Director of Sales at Asahi UK
“It has made me want to do Level 2 and use it to progress my career to move roles and work with brands more.” - Asahi UK team member
