Pouring in over 10,200 outlets, don’t miss out on stocking Cruzcampo® this summer
Born in Seville in 1904, Cruzcampo® was launched into the on-trade last spring by HEINEKEN UK in response to the increasing demand for Spanish lager.
Already Spain’s most popular draught beer1, Cruzcampo® is now the 11th largest draught brand2 in the UK, and officially the biggest brand launch in the beer, wine and spirits category in over a decade3 – a remarkable rise considering it’s been on the UK market for less than a year.
Now pouring in over 11,400 outlets, we sat down with Phil Winstanley, Purchasing Manager at Liverpool’s famous Cavern Club, who’s had great early success with the brand, to find out how he is growing beer sales in venue this summer with Cruzcampo®.
“We run three venues in Liverpool – the Cavern Club, Cavern Pub and Cavern Restaurant, and we’re about to introduce Cruzcampo® into the pub today.
This is based on the success the lager has had in the club, where we first introduced it around six months ago. We also plan to have it in the restaurant when we refresh the menu.
We first decided to stock Cruzcampo® because we had noticed a trend and appetite for Spanish draught lagers, and it was a segment that was becoming more and more popular. I think this was down to people going abroad on holiday to Spain, seeing the brand, and then wanting a taste of it back home to recreate those moments.”
And Cavern Club aren’t alone in recognising this rising demand for Spanish lager among UK consumers. In fact, Spanish lager has grown an impressive +34.9% in value MAT over the past year, and now accounts for one in four pints of total draught premium and world lager4 sold in UK pubs and bars. This has been driven by brands such as Cruzcampo®, which has seen an impressive rise in popularity down to its great taste, quality and value and authentic credentials. To further drive awareness, in spring this year HEINEKEN UK launched its first marketing campaign for Cruzcampo® with a £10m investment set to ramp up demand for the brand, increasing bar calls and tapping into consumer demand for Mediterranean styles.
Phil adds: “Once HEINEKEN UK invested in Cruzcampo®, the [Spanish lager] market grew even further, and it has since become a staple brand in the club. When it comes to branded PoS materials, we’re going to offer the glassware in the pub and restaurant to give it that extra appeal – we’re just in the middle of sorting that out and getting stock in.”
Feedback from pubs and bars who already list Cruzcampo®, and their customers, is that the branding has played a real part in its success. This is a beer that really stands out on the bar, with a sleek font design and eye-catching glassware, both of which speak to the brand’s Spanish heritage.
While Cruzcampo® has flourished in sales, Phil explains the success can also be attributed to predicting the demand ahead of time, while constantly keeping up to speed with the latest news so they can jump on trends early. “Our HEINEKEN UK rep is brilliant – he always keeps us up to date with the latest launches and advises us on what to stock based on what he thinks will do well in venue for us, offering a personalised and tailored service. HEINEKEN UK are a key part of our operation and provide a great service.”
For operators interested in working closer with HEINEKEN UK and to find out more information about Cruzcampo®, head to eazle.co.uk/huk/en/cruzcampo.
