Craft cider boom sees Brits spend extra £10m on pricy ciders
Sales of the priciest ciders on the market have grown by £10 million in the past year, as British drinkers seek out more expensive artisanal versions of the drink.
Sales of the priciest ciders on the market have grown by £10 million in the past year, as British drinkers seek out more expensive artisanal versions of the drink.
The National Association of Cider Makers said consumers are drinking more cider than ever in a buoyant market - sales figures show off-trade top tier premium cider sales grew by £10 million to £75 million in the year to June 2014, compared to the previous period.
Premium cider is in the ascendancyThe National Association of Cidermakers says the UK indsutry uses 250,000 tonnes of UK grown apples which are harvested from 17,300 acres. The cider industry is valued at £3 billion (retail sales).
Chair of the NACM, Paul Bartlett, 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."
On average, the price of premium and artisan ciders has increased by 5% in the last 12 months, ahead of the rate of inflation.
The rest of the premium cider category saw take home sales grow to £400 million in the last year - up £43 million on 2013.
Tesco has boosted the number of lines of cider it stocks by 60% 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."
Sales of top tier premium cider now make up 7% of the off-trade cider market.
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