Cider worth £2 billion to UK’s pubs, bars and restaurants
Cider has reached an historic £2 billion valuation in UK on-trade for the first time, according to a new report. The post Cider worth £2 billion to UK’s pubs, bars and restaurants appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Cider has reached an historic £2 billion valuation in UK on-trade for the first time, according to a new report.
According to the Heineken Cider Report 2025, titled Cider Public House Rules, the cider category has seen a 5% growth in value over the last two years and has become the second most popular alcoholic drink in pubs, bars, and restaurants.
Cider has been having a bit of a moment of late, with a grant to support the development of aspiring cider makers being revived by the Three Counties Cider and Perry Association (TCCPA).
Just last month, Molson Coors announced that it will be investing £10 million into Suffolk cider brand Aspall over the next five years. While, another win for the category came in the form of Somerset-based cider house Thatchers winning a trademark infringement case against supermarket giant Aldi, showing how important branding in cider could be for sales.
The shift in people becoming more interested in cider has been driven by a surge in premiumisation and a growing preference for draught options with the recent report revealing how value sales have outstripped volume over the last 12 months.
The data has also shown how, throughout 2024 , 342 million pints of cider and around 114 million bottles have been sold in the UK on-trade, making it the second most popular alcoholic drink by volume in the sector.
For 2024, draught cider was also up 6% in stark comparison to total on-trade drinks sales, which were flat over the same time period. In fact, the findings highlighted how cider on tap now makes up 77% of on-trade cider sales by volume, equivalent to £1.4bn in value to the on-trade as a whole and, on average is worth £21,500 a year to an operator.
The uplift covers both apple and flavoured variants which have, according to the report, tapped into the consumer’s desire to trade up. But there are other ways to appeal to the trade. For instance, last autumn, Siren Craft Brew and Red Fin Cider teamed up to show how craft beer and cider can work together to beat the mainstream and offer up more independent craft offerings.
Within the new Heineken research it was revealed that packaged cider still remains a vital part of the offer since it allows for a greater range of flavours and varieties to be stocked, giving broad appeal for customers.
The data suggested that packaged cider should “take pride of place in the fridge over beer because 28% of cider sales are through the fridge in comparison to just 8% of beer sales”.
The report also identified how premium flavoured ciders are “the dominant force…growing to 72% of cider sales…while no and low is also a sector in growth, up 11% in the last year.
Speaking about the report findings, Heineken UK on-trade sales director Will Rice said: “The Cider Public House Rules report reaffirms that there should be huge optimism for the category. Cider remains a staple for the vast majority of pubs and bars in the UK and consumers view it as a key part of the quintessential pub and bar experience. In fact, 79% of consumers say it is an important consideration when choosing where to visit.”
Rice added: “What we have clearly seen in this report, is that for the operators that invest in their cider range, either by increasing the number of packaged products or adding an additional line to the bar, are being really rewarded with increased money in the till. For what is a financially tough time for the sector, ensuring your cider offer is fit for purpose is a really easy win.”
Heineken has outlined that its new report gives operators data, advice and expert tips, to help make the most of cider. Within the report, operators can glean information with eye-tracking insight to inform ranging decisions, to key cider drinking occasions, to the top performing brands, and the roles different ciders play on the bar and in the fridge.
According to the Heineken Cider Report 2025, titled Cider Public House Rules, the cider category has seen a 5% growth in value over the last two years and has become the second most popular alcoholic drink in pubs, bars, and restaurants.
Cider has been having a bit of a moment of late, with a grant to support the development of aspiring cider makers being revived by the Three Counties Cider and Perry Association (TCCPA).
Just last month, Molson Coors announced that it will be investing £10 million into Suffolk cider brand Aspall over the next five years. While, another win for the category came in the form of Somerset-based cider house Thatchers winning a trademark infringement case against supermarket giant Aldi, showing how important branding in cider could be for sales.
The shift in people becoming more interested in cider has been driven by a surge in premiumisation and a growing preference for draught options with the recent report revealing how value sales have outstripped volume over the last 12 months.
The data has also shown how, throughout 2024 , 342 million pints of cider and around 114 million bottles have been sold in the UK on-trade, making it the second most popular alcoholic drink by volume in the sector.
For 2024, draught cider was also up 6% in stark comparison to total on-trade drinks sales, which were flat over the same time period. In fact, the findings highlighted how cider on tap now makes up 77% of on-trade cider sales by volume, equivalent to £1.4bn in value to the on-trade as a whole and, on average is worth £21,500 a year to an operator.
The uplift covers both apple and flavoured variants which have, according to the report, tapped into the consumer’s desire to trade up. But there are other ways to appeal to the trade. For instance, last autumn, Siren Craft Brew and Red Fin Cider teamed up to show how craft beer and cider can work together to beat the mainstream and offer up more independent craft offerings.
Within the new Heineken research it was revealed that packaged cider still remains a vital part of the offer since it allows for a greater range of flavours and varieties to be stocked, giving broad appeal for customers.
The data suggested that packaged cider should “take pride of place in the fridge over beer because 28% of cider sales are through the fridge in comparison to just 8% of beer sales”.
The report also identified how premium flavoured ciders are “the dominant force…growing to 72% of cider sales…while no and low is also a sector in growth, up 11% in the last year.
Speaking about the report findings, Heineken UK on-trade sales director Will Rice said: “The Cider Public House Rules report reaffirms that there should be huge optimism for the category. Cider remains a staple for the vast majority of pubs and bars in the UK and consumers view it as a key part of the quintessential pub and bar experience. In fact, 79% of consumers say it is an important consideration when choosing where to visit.”
Rice added: “What we have clearly seen in this report, is that for the operators that invest in their cider range, either by increasing the number of packaged products or adding an additional line to the bar, are being really rewarded with increased money in the till. For what is a financially tough time for the sector, ensuring your cider offer is fit for purpose is a really easy win.”
Heineken has outlined that its new report gives operators data, advice and expert tips, to help make the most of cider. Within the report, operators can glean information with eye-tracking insight to inform ranging decisions, to key cider drinking occasions, to the top performing brands, and the roles different ciders play on the bar and in the fridge.
