Company Special: UK tastes gaining ground in mainland palette

When Sam Fischer, managing director of Greater China for Diageo, the world's leading beverage alcohol company based in London, visits a place where his company's drinks are sold, his favorite thing to do is to sit down with consumers and observe their consumption patterns.

After arriving in Beijing one night in February, he toured a local Wal-Mart store and 15 outlets in town.

"I cannot spend enough time with Chinese consumers or Chinese customers learning about what they want," Fischer said.