Brand new consumer and industry insight from the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM), aims to highlight the deep roots that cider has in British culture and the scope of the opportunity ahead of it.
The study lays out the national success story that is UK cider, showing that cider contributes £2.7bn to UK GDP; supports 65,000 jobs and £1.4Bn in wages.
It also uncovers the love British consumers have for cider and the scale of the opportunity to grow the category even further. From a survey of over 1,250 UK adults and four consumer focus groups, we found that:
- Of those that drink alcohol, four in 10 drink cider at least monthly
- Among all drinkers, just under six in 10 consider cider when choosing an alcoholic beverage
- 70% of those surveyed said what they liked about cider most, is that it is refreshing
- 35% of consumers say they mainly drink it “at the pub”, with a quarter saying they mainly drink it “at bars or clubs” or “at barbecues” (both 25%)
- When asked “compared to other alcoholic drinks you usually drink,” cider came out higher than other drinks in all categories, including taste, quality and value for money.
Significantly, one-third of non-cider drinkers say they would consider trying cider in the future; almost a fifth of people (18 per cent) like that cider is easy to share with others, and nearly three in five (59 per cent) consumers say they’d prefer cider to come from a British producer.
Excitingly, over half (54 per cent) of those surveyed said they would consider trying Low and No cider in the future. In addition, Low and No cider emerged as the most appealing option for non-drinkers considering such drinks, ahead of beer, wine, and cocktails. With over half (58 per cent) of respondents to the survey confirming that they have reduced their alcohol consumption over the last year, this could be another key area to drive category growth.
“Cider is a truly great British story, one of success, innovation, craft, community, and deep-rooted tradition,” said NACM CEO Fenella Tyler. “It is written in our landscapes, sustained by apple growers and makers, and savoured by millions – the UK remains both the world’s biggest producer and consumer of cider, something us Brits should be very proud of.
“This latest study shows the scope and scale of cider and the opportunity in front of us. It is clear that increasing trial presents a road to grow significant sales for cider makers of all sizes across the UK. Our focus is to now bring together people from across the trade to help consumers to discover the great quality and breadth of styles British cider has to offer, and British Cider Week will be our first opportunity to do this.”