Australia: Issue at Foster’s: free beer or not free beer ?

The shareholders of Australian brewer Foster's expect something more than dividends, they would like free beer.

The Foster’s chairman Frank Swan stated as a response to a series of questions that could have come from Homer Simpson that the Foster’s shareholders had to line up and pay for brewery tours like everyone else. This would apply particularly to the prize feature of the tour-the free "sampling" at the end.

Mr Swan stressed that every year the same question was asked and he always argued the price of the tours should be raised to prevent further questions.

Nevertheless the chief executive Mr. Trevor O'Hoy replied always that the brewery tours were an important feature to be enjoyed by Foster's true fans and shareholders.

25 October, 2005