Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Sweden
The craft of a world-class beverage since 1897 A craft brewery in a global context, yet Sweden’s largest brewery, Spendrups combines the breadth and depth of expertise of a long-standing market player with the boldness and fast decision-making processes of a family-owned company. Scan Magazine caught up with head master brewer Richard Bengtsson, who insists that there are no shortcuts to the perfect brew. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Spendrups
“I’m responsible for all new recipes and product development, and also for the preservation of old recipes,” says Bengtsson. “Beer is a living natural product, so with each new harvest the conditions for each particular flavour change.” Having grown up in Falkenberg in a family of brewers, Bengtsson has the craft in his blood – yet it was never inevitable that 44 | Issue 97 | February 2017
zerland and worked with producing soft drinks for a while, then on to Berlin to study. I qualified, worked in a lab and at a few different breweries, did some time in academia and eventually saw a job at Spendrups advertised. And here I am.”
Non-alcoholic and organic trends this was where he would end up. “I learnt about the brewing industry from an early age, but when I was old enough to think about what I wanted to be when I grew up I initially saw myself as a biologist or chemical engineer, because I loved science. But eventually I decided my heart was in the brewing industry,” he says. “My biggest problem was that I didn’t speak German, and the brew master course is in Berlin. So I moved to Swit-
A family business dating back more than a century, Spendrups has always heralded a philosophy about real, natural-quality products as the only way. A speedy decision-making process has allowed the company to stay alert and innovative, something that has helped it to not just follow trends but also join in to lead the way. Increasingly conscious consumers and a booming craft beer trend have brought two key focus areas to the fore