Peroni fuels Miller Brands volume growth
Miller Brands, the UK subsidiary of SABMiller, saw lager volumes grow 25% on an organic basis for the six months to September.
The uplift was chiefly driven by Peroni Nastro Azzurro, which registered growth of 22%.
Miller Brands said it had not suffered a post World Cup slump like some other brewers.
It now has a 34% market share of the "world beer" category in the UK — its other brands are Pilsner Urquell, Lech, Tyskie, Miller Genuine Draft and most recently a Czech import called Kozel.
"Growth in the emerging world beer category reflects increasing consumer interest in the provenance of brands, and is part of a global trend favouring craft and import products in the super-premium beer segment," said Miller Brands managing director Nick Miller, who pointed to volume growth in craft beer in the USA and cask ale's out-performance of the UK beer market.
He added: "Brands in the world beer category, such as Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell and Kozel, have proven extremely popular with the discerning 25-34 year old and are helping to challenge some of the negative stereotypes that have been associated with beer in recent years.
"Many of the consumers who are new to this category are also experimenting with different flavours in products such as coffee and chocolate, demonstrating a curiosity born out of a broader range of international experiences."
SABMiller's US operation, MillerCoors, recently announced the formation of Tenth and Blake, an independent company to manage the sale and distribution of its portfolio of craft beers and imports.
