Giorgi Maruashvili, co-founder of Bayo Brewery, spoke to BM.GE about the successful start of the Georgian craft beer brand's export to Finland. The first batch has already been sent, and in mid-April, a second batch of 1,500 bottles will be shipped. The feedback from the Finnish market has been overwhelmingly positive, exceeding their expectations.
Despite the success in Finland, Maruashvili emphasizes that Bayo Brewery is still cautious with its export plans. The company is currently focused on expanding its domestic market, with increasing demand in cities like Batumi, Borjomi, Racha, and Kutaisi. Most of these orders are coming from specialized beer bars, pubs, and stores that sell draft beer.
Bayo Brewery is also working on improving its production capacity. This year, the focus is on optimizing manufacturing processes, including automating tasks like keg filling and cleaning. These improvements are expected to significantly boost efficiency. Maruashvili adds that the company has invested about $10,000 in new equipment, which will contribute to enhanced production effectiveness.
Looking ahead, Bayo Brewery anticipates increased demand, particularly as the summer season approaches. Plans for further growth will be made based on the experiences gained from both domestic and export markets.
