A Nova Scotian couple, Connor and Maria Jeffreys, faced a setback a week before delivering nearly 600 bottles of mead to a New Brunswick Renaissance fair organized by Fireside Meadery. The fair’s owners were surprised by the New Brunswick liquor retailer’s plan to increase the product’s price by over 100%, turning an $11,300 order into $25,000. Consequently, the fair had to reduce its order to 240 smaller bottles, impacting the original deal significantly.
Mead, the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage, is produced using water, honey, and yeast, with the option to incorporate fruits and spices. Fireside Meadery, striving to expand into a larger facility, was disappointed by the reduced sale, as each lost opportunity affects their growth plans.
The markup quote from the New Brunswick liquor retailer, ANBL, was disheartening for the Jeffreys. Sébastien Després, the fair’s executive producer, emphasized the importance of supporting Atlantic Canadian products and expressed his astonishment at the steep markup, calling for the removal of such barriers to promote interprovincial trade.
ANBL defended its actions under New Brunswick’s Liquor Control Act, stating that alcohol purchases at events must go through the Crown corporation, ANBL. The regulator pointed out that standard wine markups were applied and fees would have been lower if a New Brunswick producer had been chosen to support local businesses.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston took notice of the situation and expressed his concern, highlighting the need to address bureaucratic obstacles hindering trade within the country. The Jeffreys sought solutions through the PC Party in Nova Scotia, leading to the premier’s involvement in the matter.
The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) explained that in Nova Scotia, a festival could directly purchase alcohol from a New Brunswick producer without involving the NSLC distribution center. The producer would pay a retail sales markup allocation based on the producer cost, not the retail price.
The Jeffreys emphasized the need to reduce interprovincial trade barriers and unite as Canadians to support local businesses and neighboring provinces. They hoped for a collaborative effort to overcome such challenges and improve trade relationships among provinces.
