Craft has undergone significant evolution over the past decade, growing from a niche industry into a major market within the beer sector.
However, rising costs and shifting consumer trends have reshaped the landscape and the category saw a 5.3% downturn in volume in 2024.
Stout was the only segment within the craft market to see growth, almost doubling its volume sales with a 98.7% upswing, according to data from CGA by NIQ.
Non-craft stout was also the only area within standard beer to see any growth in 2024, growing 19.4% like-for-like.
Meanwhile craft ale sales dropped 6.2%, compared to 7.4% for non-craft ale, and craft lager was hit by a 6.5% decline against a 3.4% downturn for non-craft lager.
Format wise, packaged craft beer suffered most, falling 18.6% in volume. Draught craft also saw decline of 4.5%.
The Morning Advertiser (The MA) spoke to operators from across the sector to find out what the key trends would be to make craft beer sales soar in 2025.
Cost increases
At the Kenton Pub near Hackney, craft beer sales have been falling steadily for a couple of years, but stout has continued to rise in popularity.
Owner Egil Johansen told The MA lager has also had somewhat of a “revival” at the London pub: “We have 17 beer lines and four of them are lager, everything from Carlsberg at £4.70 a pint to the more premium Paulaner and Pillars; all 4 are performing really well."
“Be proud to sell local craft beer and craft from the hundreds of smaller independent breweries.”
Barking Cat Alehouse owner Mark Ambrose
Johansen added the closure of many smaller and local craft breweries and ongoing economic challenges could be linked to the downturn in total craft sales.
This means good price points would be key to ensuring healthy craft sales, he said: “A lot of craft beer has become expensive, which means we would need to sell at high prices. We always struggle to shift expensive stuff when we have that on our specials.”
Managing director of Leeds-based SALT Brewery, Edd Simpson, also highlighted the issues faced by independent craft brewers and the impact this has had on the market.
He said: “Cost increases and the Government’s recent budget have continued to put pressure on the bottom line, demanding breweries make cost savings and increase prices to stand still.
“In the on trade, it has become more challenging for independent brewers to gain keg taps on the bar in mainstream outlets, due to commercial agreements already in place across the bar.
“Having said that, after recent stagnation of the category, we have seen it move back into growth, though much of that is driven by mainstream craft.”
The managing director explained SALT’s biggest selling craft beer in 2024 was Jute, a 4.2% Session IPA, which grew its share of core sales 64% year-on-year.
Its second best-seller at a higher ABV, New England IPA Huckaback (5.5%), grew 10% in value.
“As premiumisation continues, consumers are prepared to pay more for better and are looking for better experiences”
SALT managing director Edd Simpson
Simpson added no and low would also continue to be influential in 2025, in particular with younger and more health-conscious consumers.
Hazy beers have also been a prominent area for SALT. Its recent launch of Alpacalypse with Molson Coors, a 4.3% ABV hazy pale ale made with American hops, is one example of this.
Founder Jamie Lawson recently told The MA SALT, which is a sister company to cask brewery Ossett, wanted to offer customers a “more accessible entry point” to craft.
- Read the exclusive interview with Jamie Lawson here
Appealing to “craft curious” consumers with new and accessible brews would also be crucial this year to recruit drinkers from other categories, such as lager, Simpson said.
“The pace at which our new session IPA Alpacalypse has taken off suggests there is a strong market, especially with a value chain that benefits both the publican and consumer.
“As premiumisation continues, consumers are prepared to pay more for better and are looking for better experiences, especially as on trade visits become less frequent”, he continued.
According to The MA’s Drinks List 2025, the top five best-selling craft beers in the on-trade last year were Beavertown Neck Oil Session IPA, Camden Hells Lager, Camden Town Pale Ale, BrewDog Punk IPA and Blue Moon.
However, Greene King’s Level Head saw the most growth in the on-trade within the segment last year, coming in at seventh place with a 53.7% uplift in volume sales by hectolitre and a 63.4% rise in value.
In contrast, number eight on the 2025 list, Marston’s Shipyard American Pale Ale, saw the biggest decrease, down 33.7% for volume and 30.2% for value.
Be different
Brixton Reliance Pale Ale, Beavertown Gamma Ray APA and Innis & Gunn Lager also made the top ten list.
- Read more about The Drinks List 2025 here
At the Barking Cat Alehouse in Poole, Dorset, craft sales were most positive last year.
The most popular craft styles at the pub, according to its Untappd profile that had 21,200 menu views, were Triple New England and hazy IPAs, imperial stouts, strong English ale, Belgian Tripel, foreign/export stout, imperial/double IPAs and dark ales.
Meanwhile the highest rated breweries at the Barking Cat Alehouse were New Bristol Brewery, Arbor Brewery, Verdant, Vibrant Forest, Eight Arch and Vault City, according to its Untappd data.
Owner Mark Ambrose told The MA: “Craft beer sales, for us at least, have been doing extremely well. Craft cask was up 9%, craft keg up 16% last year compared with 2023.”
Similarly to Simpson, Ambrose also noted an increase in the popularity of no and low alcohol craft beers. However, the most popular ABV at the pub last year was 5% for craft keg beer and around 6% for craft cask.
Higher ABV pastry sours and stouts were styles Ambrose anticipated would gain in popularity this year: “We are already seeing more interest in pastry sours and pastry stouts.
“These are in the stronger beer category, coming in at 6% and all the way up to 15%; our customers are definitely on the hunt for flavour and a thick body.
“Pale ales that are super hazy and pack in the flavour also continue to draw people in and year-on-year we see increases in sales.”
When it comes to bringing customers back to the craft beer scene in 2025, Ambrose advised operators to “be different” and give customers “plenty of choice”.
He said: “We sold 1,105 different cask beers, 759 different keg beers and 287 different bag in box ciders last year.
“Steer clear of the fake craft beers brewed by the big breweries. Be proud to sell local craft beer and craft from the hundreds of smaller independent breweries.”
