Is cider gaining on lager and beer?

Cider is no longer a niche product, but is now positioned alongside beer and lager - and evidence is growing that today's young drinking in-crowd see cider brands as increasingly trendy.

Cider is one of the best established drinks on the market, with the art of apple fermentation having arrived in Britain with nomadic traders in prehistoric times.

However, it was after the Norman conquest that the commercial market was created. Many vineyards which dated back to Roman times were replaced with orchards by the cider-loving conquerors from northwest France.

Cider's association with the country arises from the fact that traditionally, almost all farms had an orchard growing apples and pears to make cider and perry. Two hundred years ago, it was routine for itinerant farm workers to be paid part of their wages in cider, and farmhouse scrumpy was still a cornerstone of the rural barter economy within living memory.

None of which is something the major cider brand owners really want you to think too hard about, simply because of the tens of millions of pounds that have been invested in brand support over recent years to give cider a more hip, urban image. So, Johnny Vaughan gets the lucrative advertising deal that might once have gone to the Wurzels.

There's certainly evidence that today's young drinking in-crowd see cider brands as increasingly trendy. It is no longer a niche market, but instead is very much positioned alongside beer and lager, with a 10 per cent share of the total long alcoholic drinks market.

On-trade brands​

The cider market is dominated by two suppliers - HP Bulmer, which owns the market leading brand Strongbow, and Matthew Clark, behind the number two brand Blackthorn.

In the on-trade, the top five brands, and their share of the pub cider market, are:

(source AC Nielsen)

This year saw Strongbow become a top 10 on-trade brand for the first time, and the growth of the top three draught cider brands has come partly at the expense of their less popular rivals, such as Scrumpy Jack, which have lost market share.

Over the last five years, the top three draught cider brands have increased their share of the total draught cider market from 66 per cent to 88 per cent.

However, this jockeying for brand position shouldn't take away from the growth of the cider category as a whole.

At the start of the 90s, total volume across both on and off-trade stood at 74 million gallons. Now, it's 110 million gallons, half of which is sold in the on-trade.

Typically, cider also delivers higher margins than beer or lager.

Bulmers reports that while cider volumes generally in the on-trade have fallen back slightly over the past year, in line with all other long alcoholic drinks, the latest AC Nielsen bi-monthly audit shows cider picking up.

Cider styles​

Cider is at least as diverse as ale in terms of the different styles available. Based on its experience of the market, Matthew Clark believes that consumers look for a range of cider styles rather than brands of a similar style competing against one another.

However, even with the growth in sales over the past few years, it is unlikely that sales will justify having the full range of styles available on draught.

Ideally, an outlet should have two draught points, with a mainstream dry, such as Strongbow or Blackthorn, and either a sweet cider such as Woodpecker or Red C, or a premium cider, such as Scrumpy Jack. Which you choose will depend on a number of factors - sweet ciders are more popular in some regions, notably the North East, while premium ciders tend to appeal to mature drinkers and are also often likely to be drunk with a meal.

Pubs specialising in real ale could even include at least one cask conditioned traditional cider, a drink served at room temperature direct from the cask, and cloudy in the glass. Although an increasing number of small brewers are reviving the art of "real" cider, the most reliable are probably Addlestones from Matthew Clark, and Bulmers Traditional.

Those bars with room for just one draught cider offering will need to have the sweet or premium options in bottles in the chilling unit. It is important that cider is sold well-chilled, but once again pubs will need to balance this with the demand for fridge shelf space from other bottled drinks such as lagers and FAB brands.

Customers​

Cider appeals to the key 18 to 24-year-old high-spending age group and is also equally popular with both men and women, so it is an essential stock for those bars with music attracting the young crowd. Matthew Clark has invested significantly in this area.

Over Summer 2001, the Blackthorn brand has been sponsoring a series of events as part of its West Coast UK campaign, such as the International Beach Volleyball championships, the Rip Curl Surf Festival and Falmouth Regatta week. Nationwide, 8,000 outlets have been targeted with a special West Coast UK promotion, with tokens to redeem against discounts on surf boards, mountain bikes, holidays, travel and accommodation.

Premium packaged ciders Diamond White and Red are continuing to target their 18 to 21-year-old audience with summer promotions connected with Ministry of Sound and Club 18-30 in Ibiza. Meanwhile, Red C, the sweet cider brand which has replaced Blackthorn Sweet, is seeing a summer rerun of the "Party Nights" TV series,  which its sponsors, charting the after-dark social antics of people in the North East, a stronghold for Red C.

Bulmers' ad series for Strongbow, featuring Johnny Vaughan promoting the "loafing" lifestyle, is also targeted at this key younger audience. The latest in the series features supermodel Jerry Hall.

However, depending in the style served, cider is a versatile product and will also appeal to more mature customers. Promotions linked to food can be especially successful, such as a premium cider linked to a ploughman's lunch.

Tips to improve cider sales​

• Ensure cider bar font is illuminated and visible - Bulmers' research shows that this alone can be enough to lift sales by 15 per cent
• Use point-of-sale to generate consumer interest in cider
• Exploit the fact that cider is often bought on impulse and can lead to incremental sales. A refreshing pint of cider may kick off a longer session in the bar
• Encourage barstaff to be enthusiastic about cider
  Run regular cider promotions

Market Report 2001​

Publicans surveyed for the Publican's Market Report 2001 confirmed that pub cider sales are increasing overall, but the rise is not constant.

The most marked increase in sales of draught cider has been in managed pubs, with 41 per cent of pubs in this category reporting an increase compared to an overall average of 28 per cent. Sales were stable in 41 per cent of pubs and had decreased in 17 per cent.

Reflecting the increased competition for chilled bottled products, 33 per cent of pubs overall, and 43 per cent of managed pubs, reported a decrease in sales of bottled cider.

Pubs where sales of draught cider have increased:

The Publican's