According to the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM), in a buoyant market consumers are enjoying more cider than ever before and trading up for pricier, artisan versions of the drink.
Industry figures show that sales of top tier premium cider in the ‘take home’ sector reached £75 million in June this year – an increase of £10 million compared to the same time in 2013, and Chair of the NACM, Paul Bartlett, said the figures show a growing thirst for high quality, artisan cider made by British producers large and small.
Quality and provenance
He said: “For a number of years, cider has been the star performer and what is clear is that people are seeking out excellent drinks – both good quality mainstream ciders and really premium products often enjoyed with food.
“It is quite an achievement for the sector when you consider that we have just come through a period of economic difficulty. It proves that, even when times are tough, cider drinkers are prepared to pay more for a high quality product that they really enjoy.
“It’s testament to people focussing on quality and provenance matched by the innovation and investment of cider makers.”
Sales up, prices up
On average, the price of premium and artisan ciders has increased by five per cent in the last twelve months, way ahead of the rate of inflation.
Even take home sales of premium cider have soared to £400 million in the last year – an increase of £43 million, compared to the year before.
Cider as a premium product
Award-winning drinks writer Pete Brown commented on the trend. He said: “There is massive scope for cider as a premium product.
“As we seek to drink less but better quality drinks, cider offers the best of all worlds: the tannic layers of red wine, the crisp acidity and sweetness of white wine, the refreshment of lager, the mellowness of ale.
“And because of the small scale of genuinely artisanal producers, there’s a pleasure of discovery involved in choosing premium cider which consumers are switching on to.”
Premium cider sales growth
Figures from the UK’s biggest retailer Tesco – who won Cider Retailer of the Year at the Drinks Retailing Awards this year – show how the premium cider category has grown over the last three years. Tesco has grown the number of lines of cider it stock by 60 per cent since 2001 and has tripled the number of premium products it has on its shelves in order to meet demand.
Olivia Christou, cider buyer at Tesco, said: “It is a very exciting time for the cider category as a whole. There are increasing numbers of ciders available and there is continued growth in the number of people drinking cider.
“The real growth for us over the last couple of years has been seen in the fruit cider section of the category, especially the more premium fruit ciders.
“The popularity of ‘craft’ products hasn’t been limited to the beer category either. We are seeing more interest from customers in the heritage of the brands they are buying and the care and expertise that is put into the production of the cider.
“Craft cider has its own destination in the cider fixture, further highlighting the rising popularity and growth of this style of cider.”
Sales of top tier premium cider now make up seven per cent of the cider take-home market.
About NACM
The National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) promotes the cider and perry industry in the UK. It represents both larger producers and many hundreds of smaller scale cider makers.
The NACM campaigns on behalf of cider makers on issues such as greater sustainability and responsible drinking. Most recently the NACM has lobbied the government to cut the Duty Escalator that currently applies to cider – but not to beer.
NACM figures show that UK cider makers use a total of 250,000 tonnes of UK grown apples which are harvested from 17,300 acres. The cider industry is valued at £3 billion (retail sales) though is still modest in size with cider and perry making up nine per cent of all alcohol consumed.
For more information click here