The power of craft

I noticed an interesting article in the Guardian regarding craft beers.

Essentially the rise in popularity of craft beers has prompted many of the major "industrial" brewers to bring out brands purporting to be craft beers. In many respects, nothing new there. Our supermarkets have been doing the same with food brands for some time, creating fictitious but appealing names to lure the unwary.

What was interesting to me though was the response of a spokesman for the industrial brewers, which in my view makes their agenda, and connection to what they produce, transparent.;

"Whether it’s ‘craft’ is really in the eye of the beholder. What we do see is that the majority of people view craft beer as looking a certain way, with slightly more flavour, and generally new, or perceived to be new.”

The nature of craft is very specific. In his book "Craftsman" Richard Sennet describes many facets of craft, but amongst them are a continuing search for improvement, and a visceral connection between the a…