Cider

Summer is on its way: apple and fruit variants are faring well (credit: Getty/ViewApart)

FEATURE – Cider

FEATURE: Boom period expected for cider

By Nigel Huddleston

The men’s football Euros and the Olympics, in Germany and Paris respectively, make the summer of 2024 potentially a boom period for pub cider sales.

Difficult month: drinks sales close January 8% down on 2023 (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

January drinks sales finish 8% down on 2023

By Rebecca Weller

Britain’s pubs and bars closed a difficult January with a third successive week of negative year-on-year sales, data from CGA by NIQ has revealed.

Changing Demands of New Generation Cider Drinkers: range most important according to Heineken UK's latest report

Range 'most important' to new generation cider drinkers

By Rebecca Weller

Three quarters of cider drinkers feel range is most important when choosing a hospitality venue to visit, especially during the winter months, according to the latest Heineken UK cider report.

Classic combination: Thatchers Cider unveils new seasonal flavour Spiced Apple

Thatchers reveal new seasonal cider

By Rebecca Weller

Somerset-based cidermaker Thatchers has unveiled a new seasonal flavour for the on-trade, available on draught with its Fusion Font range.

Pints galore: Pubs are in with a chance to bag £150k cider

£150k of Stowford Press cider up for grabs

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Westons Cider is giving 12 pubs the chance to bag a year’s worth of Stowford Press as part of a £150,000 investment in a bid to boost the hospitality sector.

Daily Drinks Tracker: sales in managed venues 7% ahead of 2022 in week to Saturday 16 September (Credit: Getty/Royalty-free)

Drinks sales up but real-terms growth 'hard won'

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in managed venues were ahead of 2022 levels for the fifth week in a row in the seven days to Saturday 16 September though real-terms growth will continue to be “hard won”.

Excise duty freeze: newly elected NACM chair David Sheppy (pictured) calls for more Government support for cidermakers

New NACM chair calls for excise duty freeze

By Rebecca Weller

The National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) has elected director of family-owned and Somerset-based Sheppy’s Cider, David Sheppy, as its new chair.

Refreshing: Aspall Cyder releases new berry flavoured cider

Aspall Cyder announces new flavour

By Rebecca Weller

Molson Coors Beverage Company has expanded its Aspall Cyder portfolio with the launch of new flavour, Aspall Blush Cyder (4% ABV).

Cider time: great weather can help drive cider sales at your venue (credit: Getty/monkeybusinessimages)

Feature - cider

FEATURE: Become the ‘go-to’ for a cider or two

By Phil Mellows

There’s a tendency for a lot of pubs to treat cider as just another kind of beer, tacked onto the end of a row of taps pouring LADs – long alcoholic beverages.

Boost to trade: cider sales and warm weather push drinks sales to 5% year-on-year growth (Credit: Getty/Kar-Tr)

Cider sales and warm weather boost trade

By Rebecca Weller

A surge in cider sales and warm weather pushed on-trade drinks transactions to show year-on-year growth for a fifth successive week.

Say cheese: many cheeses can be matched with a huge variety of cider and perry styles

OPINION

Matching cheeses with ciders

By Andy Swinscoe, co-owner of The Courtyard Dairy

Cider and cheese are traditional bedfellows.

Increased balance sheet strength: improved results have led to dividends for C&C shareholders (credit: Getty/DenisMArt)

C&C: challenging conditions to remain, net revenue up 18.4%

By Gary Lloyd

Drinks business C&C Group said it expects macroeconomic conditions to continue affecting trade adversely – particularly in Great Britain – but also announced an 18.4% boost to net revenue in its results for the 12 months ended 28 February (FY23).

New products: this week's round-up features Westons Cider, Camden Town Brewery, Theakston Brewery, Salcombe Brewery and Sheppy's Cider, Hepworth Brewery, Brockmans Gin and Whitebox Cocktails

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Westons launches new Rosie's Pig variant

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Westons Cider, Camden Town Brewery, Brockmans Gin, Theakston Brewery, Salcombe Brewery, Whitebox Cocktails, Hepworth Brewery and Sheppy's Cider.

Kopparberg gives advice on attracting younger customers and ranging

Promotional content

The secrets to driving sales at your site

By Kopparberg

With the warmer weather just weeks away and beer gardens in the UK are beginning to get busy, category controller at Kopparberg, Anne Claypole, gives her thoughts on the fruit cider market this summer.

Affordable pleasures: premium and craft ciders lead on-trade trends amid economic challenges (pictured: Westons Cider insights and innovation manager Tim Williams speaking at the cider report launch)

Premium and craft ciders lead on-trade trends

By Rebecca Weller

Premium and craft ciders offer operators a “great opportunity” for growth as the premiumisation trend becomes more “apparent”, new data has revealed.

Sweet as honey: Britain's top mead producers discuss the future of mead (Getty/ Qwart)

What does the future hold for mead?

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Britain’s largest producers of mead got together to discuss the rise of the drink and its place in the market at the London Barrel Project in Bermondsey last week.

New products: this week's round-up features Bombay Sapphire, Kopparberg and Greene King

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Kopparberg announces limited-edition summer cider

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Kopparberg, Schweppes, Peroni, Salcombe Distilling Co, Greene King, Three Drinkers and Bombay Sapphire.

Lesser impact: consumers becoming accustomed to adjusting plans due to rail strikes (Credit: Getty/South_agency)

Feb rail strikes had 'lesser impact' on sector

By Rebecca Weller

Recent rail strikes had a “lesser impact” on drinks sales than previous ones as consumers become accustomed to “adjusting plans”, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Category history: why is cider rarely considered in the same echelons as Champagne or whisky, asks Molson Coors' Mark Bentley (image: Getty/Scott Mansfield)

opinion

Cider has a heritage we should shout about more

By Mark Bentley, on-trade category controller, Molson Coors

Molson Coors on-trade category controller Mark Bentley reflects on the history and provenance of cider and why pubs, bars and restaurants should make more of the category’s versatility.

What are the best selling drinks brands of 2022

Drinks List 2023

The Drinks List – top brands to stock in 2023

By The Morning Advertiser

This year’s Drinks List has seen great strides forward in terms of volume and value sales versus last year because the on-trade has been operating on a much better basis than during the heavily restrictive phases of the pandemic.

Fluctuating sales: average sales in the on trade 0.4% up vs 2019 in week to Saturday 16 July after drops between 1% and 7% in last three weeks (Credit: Getty/Alina Rosanova)

Drinks sales 0.4% ahead vs 2019

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales by value in Britain’s managed pubs, bars, and restaurants in the seven days to Saturday 16 July were 0.4% ahead compared with the same week in 2019, the latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.

New products round up: Black Sheep Brewery launches new cider and Freixenet Copestick expands its wine portfolio

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Black Sheep Brewery launches new cider

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Black Sheep Brewery and Spirit of Manchester Distillery as well as a tongue in cheek nod to outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson while Freixenet Copestick expands its wine portfolio.

New products round up: Theakston, Beavertown and Black Sheep Brewery announce new serves

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND UP

Theakston, Beavertown and Black Sheep Brewery announce new serves

By Rebecca Weller

This weeks new products round up features Theakston's first cider offering in 30 years alongside new serves from Beavertown, Black Sheep Brewery, Spirit of Manchester Distillery and a new RTD cocktail from America ready to take the UK by storm.

Sleek design: the new font for Kopparberg draught Strawberry & Lime

In association with Kopparberg

New draught font for Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime

By Kopparberg

Kopparberg, the UK’s leading fruit cider brand (1), is rolling out a brand new Strawberry & Lime draught font nationwide in time for summer.

Deal details: the sale will be completed in three parts over the course of the 2023 financial year (image: Getty/Robert Daly)

C&C sells Admiral stake

By Nikkie Thatcher

Drinks company C&C Group has announced the sale of minority interest in pubco Admiral Taverns to Proprium Capital Partners for a total consideration of £55m.

Huge investment: the Aspall Cyder House upgrade has increased manufacturing capacity by almost 60%

Molson Coors ploughs £16m into Aspall Cyder

By Gary Lloyd

Molson Coors has invested £16m into Aspall Cyder through a three-year renovation project to the cider-making facility in Suffolk and a first-ever TV advert campaign.

Free PDF on how to improve your pub's cider offer

FREE PDF download

Boost your cider offer with this free PDF

By Gary Lloyd

Summer is on its way and what could be better than have a packed pub and, in particular, a packed beer garden to boost your bottom line?

New products: this weeks round up features products from Sandford's, La Chouffe, Belvoir, Howler Head and Portobello Road Distillery

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Sandford's announces Jubilee cider & La Chouffe turns 40

By Rebecca Weller

Sandford Orchards release a new serve for the upcoming Jubilee as well as new products from Belvoir, La Chouffe, Howler Head and Portobello Road Distillery in this weeks round up.

Cider specialists: The Ciderologist Gabe Cook (above right) has lots of advice as do Thatchers, Kopparberg and Westons, among others

The Cider Report

FEATURE: Facts, stats and advice to push your cider offer

By Gary Lloyd

The Chinese new year began a couple of months ago, ushering in the Year of the Tiger, but operators of hospitality businesses will be hoping 2022 will be the ‘Year of the Pub’ as sites return to full use across the UK.

Thatcher's Blood Orange Cider: the cider makers latest variant is to be launched alongside Thatcher's biggest campaign to date

Thatchers announces new Blood Orange cider

By Rebecca Weller

Thatchers Cider yesterday (Monday 11 April) unveiled its latest offering, Thatchers Blood Orange Cider (4% ABV), with the new product launch set to be supported by the company’s biggest multi-media campaign to date.