Feature: The cider category

Strawberries and cream, toffee apple, blood orange with chilli. No, this is not the half-term ice cream menu of your local soft play site – these are examples of flavoured ciders that were once tipped as ‘ones to watch’ for pub and bar operators, as eccentric taste profiles were predicted to be the next big thing in the cider category. 

OK, they may have had a time and still generate some sales, but, ladies and gentlemen, this is 2025 – a year of no nonsense, reliable, honest preferences for clean, quality, premium drinks. And if there’s one thing you can say about cider, it’s that classic styles will always cut to the core. 

“We haven’t seen many flavour trends change over the last year,” says Pete Hopwell, operations manager at Castle Rock Brewery. “The most popular is still a pint of draught cider. Over the last six months, these have made up 65% of our total cider sales, with over 75,000 pints sold across all our managed estate. As a pub group, we stock across a range of formats in most products – not just cider – as we feel our customers expect a good range of quality products, and providing that is key in keeping people coming back.”

It is a bit of an old cliché, but the quality that Hopwell talks about is certainly being sought after by guests, even in these tricky economic times. Operators know that with money being tight for many, it is essential that pubs and bars offer top-class food and drinks, delivering value wherever possible.

“Despite the ongoing tough economic conditions, premium and flavoured ciders have been growing in popularity for some time now, and publicans can use them as important revenue drivers as they battle the effects of the cost-of-living crisis,” says John Price, head of marketing at Kingfisher Drinks. “Food pairing is still very important to cider drinking occasions too, with nearly half of all on-trade cider serves being with food.”

Pouring a Chance cider

Let’s look at the numbers

While researching this feature, operators and suppliers alike told Pub & Bar that flavoured ciders are still popular with consumers – we’ll get to that, we promise. However, when you look at the latest data from our friends at CGA, pubs and bars can’t ignore the surge in popularity of classic apple ciders over the past couple of years. What’s more, this demand is still growing, which is worth keeping in mind as the warmer months approach.

“Apple cider remains the backbone of the category, accounting for around two-thirds of market value,” says Darryl Hinksman, head of business development at Westons Cider. “Notably it remains on an upward trajectory, growing by 1.4%, even as the overall category experiences a decline of -2.1%. This reinforces apple cider’s status as a top priority for venues keen to maximise sales and capitalise on emerging trends.”

Hinksman and CGA highlight that draught apple is particularly strong, representing over three quarters of total draught cider and boasting a growth rate of 1.9%. This impressive performance is outpacing the broader market and is proof of the significant shift towards premium, crafted brands. As consumers become more discerning in their choices, it seems premium brands are leading the charge.

“While draught fruit cider faces challenges, there’s a promising trend toward the premium sub-category, now valued at £86.5m, accounting for 31.2% of the total flavoured draught category,” adds Hinksman. “It’s clear that venues achieving the strongest cider sales stay ahead by adapting to market trends. The popularity of cider formats can vary based on factors such as age, season, venue and regional preferences. For example, draught apple cider reigns supreme in the south west, holding an 85.7% share, while Lancashire leads in draught fruit cider with 36.5%, well above the national averages of 76.8% for apple cider and 23% for fruit cider. These insights emphasise the importance of adapting cider selections to meet local demand and maximise sales potential.”

While UK-wide suppliers will either hit that demand for recognisable brands or potentially list ciders local to a venue, Hinksman’s point of knowing the preferences of your immediate demographic seems obvious, but as he has highlighted, there can be some crucial nuances that determine what sells well year-on-year. Plus, there is always the appeal of something ‘local’ being poured from the taps.

“Ciders from local and regional producers are always a hit, and what’s exciting is that ‘cider’ isn’t just one thing – it can include a huge range of ABVs, ingredients and flavour profiles,” says John Logue, founder at Chance Cider. “The best cider offerings bring all of this diversity into their selection, combining craft ciders with more familiar, widely-loved flavours. There’s no reason why your cider range shouldn’t get the same level of excitement and variety as your craft beer selection. After all, cider is the third-largest category in alcohol sales, while craft beer isn’t even the third largest in the beer category itself. With so many options to explore, it’s a great opportunity to diversify your offering and cater to an increasingly curious and discerning audience.”

There's plenty of choice at Castle Rock Brewery in Nottingham

There’s still flavour to savour 

As touched upon, it would be remiss of us (and pub and bar operators) not to acknowledge the flavoured side of the cider category. Indeed, at Castle Rock, Old Mout Berries & Cherries on draught makes up for 12% of all cider sales across the group, despite not being available in all its pubs. You can’t argue with that.

“While apple continues to lead the way in terms of overall sales, flavoured cider is attracting new consumers into the category from spirits and cocktails, and will continue to have an important role to play as a draught option while not taking sales away from the strength of the category in the fridge,” concludes Serena Smith, category development controller at Heineken UK. “Variety is important to customers when visiting pubs and bars, with half of cider drinkers who opt for flavoured cider saying they like having a variety of flavours from which to choose. When building out your flavoured cider range, consider starting with a berry-flavoured on draught, then complement it with a diverse selection of bottled ciders in the fridge, spanning both berry and exotic fruit flavours.” 

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