Brewery eyes export as it marks 40th anniversary |16 July 2012

The company was marking its 40th year of existence last weekend in a ceremony for its staff at the Chez Batista restaurant at Takamaka.

The event coincided with the company’s annual May Day celebrations and a party-like atmosphere reigned as a good number of the company’s 140 staff turned up to celebrate their achievement.
 
Addressing the guests, the company’s managing director Aubrey Lucas traced back some of the company’s achievements over the years.

“Seychelles breweries was incorporated under the Companies Act on July 1, 1972, was launched the same day and signed an agreement with Haas-Brauerei 12 days later,” he recounted.

Guinness stout was launched that same year, as well as Seypearl’s Tonic, Ginger ale, Soda and Bitter Lemon. The year after that, in 1973, Governor Bruce Greatbatch officially opened the brewery.

In March 1984 Eku beer was launched, and in June 1990 it was the turn of the Cocktail des fruits.
In 1997 Diageo became a major shareholder, with today the company boasting 1362 shareholders.

“I thank everyone for their hard work over the years and today we are celebrating some major achievements as both a company and as a family,” he added.

As from April 2012, Seybrew started to be sold in the airport duty-free for travellers to take back home with them, an innovation which Mr Lucas said they are having success with.

“Seybrew is also for the first time ever available aboard an Air Seychelles plane, this being the new Boeing Airbus, and I am certain that with the other ideas we have in the pipeline, will eventually be able to export our beer overseas, due to popular demand, especially to places with large Seychellois communities. The possibility is there and time will tell,” he said.   

“We are always looking for new ideas, doing market research and basically looking out for how we can better please our clients,” he said.

Recognition also went to the company’s longest-serving workers, such as Walter Onezime who has clocked up 34 years, Suzanne Jean-Louis (33 years), Bernard Sabadin (27 years), Stephanie Pool and Bernard Confait (26 years each).

A 40th anniversary cake was also cut by Mr Lucas, flanked by the longest-serving and also the youngest employee of the company, after which a night of celebration ensued, a night however, of “responsible celebration” as per the company’s motto.

I.H.