Beer by bike: Belgian brewers innovate to survive

With bars and restaurants shut, Belgian brewers will now bring their beer to you by bike.

Julian Satterthwaite reports.

There may be a lockdown, but people still want the essentials.

And in Belgium that means beer.

With bars and restaurants shut, some brewers will now bring the beer to you, by bike.

Though this Brussels resident says it's not just about the drink: (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRUSSELS RESIDENT, MARTHA GIALAMPOUKI, WHO PICKED UP HER NEIGHBOUR'S ORDER, SAYING: "I think it's very helpful to have deliveries.

Not only because we consume a product, but because all the companies can sell the product by themselves and have some profit now.

For me it's more important to support the business than to consume the product." Six smaller brewers in Brussels now offer the service.

Some are giving a cut of their profits to local hospitals.

En Stoemelings is among the innovators.

Manager Samuel Languy says it was a case of innovate or die: (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGER OF BREWERY EN STOEMELINGS, SAMUEL LANGUY, SAYING: "Actually we sell mostly in bars and restaurants.

So when the corona crisis struck, the first places that closed were the bars and restaurants, so you can only imagine how it affected us.

In one day we lost 95 percent of our clients." Beer delivery was a tiny niche before the lockdowns began a month ago.

One bike service says it maybe transported 40 cases a month.

Now it does that every day.

Pedal power means the service doesn't soil the city's suddenly cleaner air.

In countries around the world the pandemic is making businesses reinvent themselves.

Which firms are leading the way, maybe tells you something about local priorities.