Growing thirst for premium cider

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.

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.

Chair of the NACM, Paul Bartlett, said the figures show a growing thirst for high quality, artisan cider made by British producers. He says, “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 focusing on quality and provenance matched by the innovation and investment of cider makers.”

On average, the price of premium and artisan ciders has increased by five per cent in the last 12 months. 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.

Figures from Tesco show how the premium cider category has grown over the last three years; the supermarket has increased the number of lines of cider it stocks 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, comments, “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.”