Cider

Craft Cider Trends

14-Aug-2014 By Pete Brown

As the craft-cider movement follows the craft-beer movement, we begin to see parallels in its development. Here, we look at a selection of the very best craft ciders available and defines the term and the category from a range of industry perspectives

Spanish cider Avalon to head to the UK

16-Jul-2014 By Robyn Black

Spain is already well known for its wines and beers but not so much cider…until now.

Food and drink matching

Core values - cider and food matching

11-Jul-2014 By Robyn Black

Robyn Black mulls over ideas for matching cider and food

Aspall to launch its first ever new cyder brand

10-Jul-2014 By Robyn Black

Aspall is to launch four new ciders under a new brand – the first in the company’s history.

Blueberry flavour added to US cider brand Hornsby’s

04-Jul-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

C&C Group is to further capitalise on the growing popularity of fruit ciders by adding a Blueberry variant to its American-style cider Hornsby’s.

Cider Hog flies into UK pubs

05-Jun-2014 By Robyn Black

The cider hog, a five-pint sharing vessel, is being rolled out by The Shepton Mallet Cider Mill as it looks to tap into the growth in craft cider.

First fruit cider for Stella Artois Cidre - plus a move into draught

14-May-2014 By Robyn Black

Stella Artois Cidre has unveiled two firsts - a foray into the fruit cider category and a move into draught - as well as a drive to promote cider with food, and a new look.

The Cider Report 2014

08-May-2014 By Jessica Mason

Some make it in orchards, others in labs, but whatever we consider to be cider, there is one common element for those claiming a stake in it — it has to be premium to be successful.

Thatchers to become the official cider of Glastonbury

29-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Thatchers will be the official cider of the Glastonbury Festival in a new three-year deal.

The Big Interview: Peter Bronsman, Kopparberg Brewery

25-Apr-2014 By Mike Berry

Kopparberg owner Peter Bronsman tells Mike Berry all about his near-death experience in the South China Sea, how he won over pear cider sceptics in the UK, and why he will never do a toffee flavour.

Halewood International launches US-style cider

14-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Halewood International is re-launching its Lazy Jack’s brand as a US-style cider,  in what it is calling its first brand roll-out “with scale” since Crabbie’s.

6 things successful cider brands have in common

02-Apr-2014 By Jessica Mason

With consumers demanding an ever more adventurous choice of ciders, Jessica Mason identifies six trends that successful brands are adopting to survive and thrive

Cider performs better than total beers, wines and spirits

27-Mar-2014 By Jessica Mason

Cider performs better than total beers, wines and spirits, draught cider is now outperforming packaged and recent floods may have threatened future harvests, according to Westons' media briefing.

Aspall to redesign and add to range

10-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

Aspall, the Suffolk Cyder maker, has promised a fresh look for its range and a raft of new product development for 2014.

Strongbow Dark Fruit to roll out next month

17-Feb-2014 By Robyn Black

Strongbow Dark Fruit is to roll out to pubs and bars next month, following a successful three-month trial at the end of last year.

The US sure has a thirst for cider

13-Feb-2014 By Pete Brown

Ever the professional, Pete Brown misses out on ‘cider karaoke’ in Chicago to share his thoughts on the US craft cider scene.

Gaymer Cider Company averts industrial action

24-Jan-2014 By Michelle Perrett

Workers at the Gaymer Cider Company in Shepton Mallett, Somerset, have agreed a 3% pay increase for 2012-13 averting industrial action.

Italian cider to hit pubs and bars next year

16-Dec-2013 By Robyn Black

An Italian cider is set to hit pubs and bars next year, as the Shepton Mallet Cider Mill, looks to exploit an emerging taste for world ciders.

Addlestones cider gets a revamp

05-Dec-2013 By Robyn Black

Cloudy cider Addlestones has been redesigned to tap into the boom in craft drinks.

The PMA's Guide to Bottled Cider

18-Nov-2013 By Nigel Huddleston

With new launch and marketing activity coming from all directions, the growing cider market shows no signs of slowing down. The PMA reports

Cider: a choice between volume or value.

05-Nov-2013 By Robyn Black

It became clear at the PMA's inaugural Cider Trends Summit a few weeks ago -and if you weren't there in Bristol, why the hell not? - that far from running out of steam there is plenty of mileage left in cider yet.

The craft at the core of cider

25-Oct-2013 By Pete Brown

The best way forward for the cider category is to reveal the magic of premium brands, argues Pete Brown.

First spirit-flavoured cider to hit the market

21-Oct-2013 By Robyn Black

A tequila cider from drinks company Hi-Spirits, promises to be the first in a raft of spirit flavoured ciders to hit the market over the next few months.

Company making cider from "unwanted" apples launches 2013 vintage

07-Oct-2013 By Robyn Black

A company that makes cider from “unwanted” apples has launched an unfiltered and unpasteurised cider exclusively for the on-trade.

Norfolk pub crowned CAMRA National Cider & Perry Pub of the Year 2013

01-Oct-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

The Railway Arms in Downham Market, Norfolk, has been named Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) National Cider & Perry Pub of the Year 2013.

Merrydown Cider moves into pubs and bars

12-Sep-2013 By Robyn Black

Merrydown Cider is to return to pubs and bars, following a 20 year absence, The Publican’s Morning Advertiser can reveal.

New Bulmers and Foster's Radler success down to 'bright summer' and 'customer insight'

23-Aug-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Heineken UK has put the success of the new Bulmers variants and low ABV lager Foster’s Radler down to a “bright summer” and “genuine consumer insight”.

Aspall launches lower alcohol cider

23-Jul-2013 By Robyn Black

A style of cider not made at Aspall in over 50 years has been revived to plug a gap in the market for a more “sessionable” traditional cider.

Henry Westons cider at the double on draught

12-Jun-2013 By Robyn Black

Westons Cider is launching its Henry Westons brand on draught for the first time.

Magners cider producer C&C Group reports falling UK volumes

16-May-2013 By Mark Wingett

C&C Group, the Irish producer of Magners cider, has reported a resilient performance for the year to 28 February despite a 15% decline in UK cider volumes in what it describes as a difficult trading environment in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Cider and lager part of expansion plans for Hogs Back Brewery

01-May-2013 By Robyn Black

Surrey’s Hogs Back Brewery has launched a cider and is developing a lager, as part of a raft of activity planned for its 21st anniversary this year, including plans to double capacity at its Tongham base.

Cider Report

24-Apr-2013 By Jessica Mason

The success of cider currently stems from sales of bottled fruity variants driven by a desire for new and exciting flavours.

Cider Trends

28-Mar-2013 By Jessica Mason

Cider brands are mirroring consumers’ enthusiasm for all things vintage by shouting about provenance and authenticity and creating their own unique style. Jessica Mason looks at the latest cider trends.

No, cider is NOT the new beer

25-Mar-2013 By Pete Brown

The misinterpretation of Mintel’s cider category research left me wanting to cry into my pint, says Pete Brown.

PMA asks readers to name and shame cheap drink offers

12-Mar-2013 By Mike Berry

The Publican's Morning Advertiser is calling on readers to report cheap irresponsible drink promotions in the off-trade after it found Frosty Jacks cider being sold for less than 17p a unit.

Licensee slams Punch Taverns over Strongbow price rise

07-Mar-2013 By Adam Pescod

Punch Taverns has come under fire from one of its licensees after it increased the price of Strongbow for his pub by the equivalent of 19p per pint (22p a pint including VAT).

Thatchers Gold cider set for new TV ad campaign

06-Mar-2013 By Adam Pescod

Thatchers Cider is investing £4 million in a new marketing campaign this spring and summer including a new TV campaign for Thatchers Gold.

Thatchers unveils Somerset Mixed Fruit cider

01-Mar-2013 By Adam Pescod

Thatchers has launched Somerset Mixed Fruit cider to sit alongside its Rosé and Pear variants as part of a new Somerset Fruit Ciders range.

Exclusive: Brothers Cider redesigns to celebrate fifth birthday

28-Feb-2013 By Jessica Mason

Brothers Cider has undergone a complete redesign of its packaging to celebrate its fifth anniversary.

Cider consumption grows as £1bn market growth predicted

25-Feb-2013 By M&C Report

Three in five adults now drink cider, up from 47% just one year ago, according to new research that predicts the cider market will grow by £1bn over the next five years.

Supermarkets selling cut-price alcohol in run-up to Christmas

12-Dec-2012 By Helen Gilbert

Supermarket giants and off-licences are continuing to sell cut-price booze in the run-up to Christmas, a PMA investigation has found.

Aspall's targets record sales of Mulled Cyder this winter

11-Oct-2012

Aspall is predicting record sales for its Mulled Cyder this winter, which will be stocked in Fuller’s and Peach Pub Company outlets for the first time.

Lambrini cider rolls out to pubs and bars following success in Tesco and Asda

26-Jun-2012 By Robyn Black

Lambrini girls who “just wanna have fun” will be able to do so in pubs and bars from this week, as the brand rolls out to the on-trade for the first time in its history.

Cider categories introduced to the International Brewing Awards

25-Jun-2012 By Mike Berry

Two new categories for cider are being added to the International Brewing Awards for the 2013 competition.

The Big Interview: Henry Chevallier Guild, Aspall's Cider

19-Jun-2012

Henry Chevallier Guild was two days old when he arrived at Aspall Hall, the 15th-century moated house in Debenham, Suffolk occupied by his family since 1702.

Heineken to launch Strongbow Pear

13-Jun-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

Heineken is to launch Strongbow Pear in what is claimed to be the most significant product innovation yet for the brand.

Flavoured cider: Gaymers launches pear cider variants

08-Jun-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

Gaymers Cider has relaunched with the introduction of two new flavours to the existing apple and pear range.

Magners revenue grows in the UK

16-May-2012 By John Harrington, M&C Report

C&C Group, the Irish producer of Magners cider and Tennents lager, has reported a full-year growth in Magners revenue in Britain for the first time in five years, thanks to new variants of the brand.

Cornwall and Herefordshire reigned supreme at CAMRA National Cider and Perry Championships

11-May-2012 By Helen Gilbert

Cornwall and Herefordshire reigned supreme at the Campaign for Real Ale National Cider and Perry Championships 2012.

Act now to Save our Scrumpy

02-May-2012 By Pete Brown

If we care about rural traditions then we should all act now to save our farmhouse cider-making industry, argues Pete Brown.