Westons Cider is expanding the Henry Westons Vintage range with a new 75cl sharing bottle, designed to give premium cider a stronger role in food-led and at-home social occasions.
The launch comes as premiumisation continues to shape the cider aisle. Apple cider remains the backbone of the category, accounting for more than two-thirds of off-trade value sales, while crafted cider is the fastest-growing segment, up +6.4 per cent year-on-year. Total vintage cider is performing even more strongly with value sales up +12.2 per cent year-on-year.
Launching nationwide from 12 October, the new Henry Westons Vintage Reserve 75cl bottle gives retailers an opportunity to take premium cider into occasions traditionally associated with other categories, including Sunday lunch, dinner with friends and entertaining at home.
The new format is designed to complement Henry Westons Vintage Reserve’s established 500ml bottle (RRP £2.65), which is the UK’s No.1 cider SKU, with more than one bottle sold every second. Rather than duplicating the role of the core single serve, the 75cl bottle gives retailers an additional format for more considered food and sharing occasions.
At 8.2 per cent ABV, the new larger format delivers the familiar smooth, medium-dry taste and full-bodied character of Henry Westons Vintage Reserve, in a bottle designed to be poured and shared around the table.
“The opportunity for cider isn’t simply about asking shoppers to buy more; it’s about making the category relevant to more occasions," said Sally McKinnon, Head of Marketing & Strategy.
“Shoppers are increasingly willing to trade up when a product delivers genuine quality and character. The new 75cl Henry Westons Vintage Reserve takes a cider people already know and trust and gives it a different role as something to put in the middle of the table, pour into glasses and share over a meal, much like a bottle of wine.”
It broadens the role of the wider Henry Westons range. From premium single bottles for individual occasions and multipacks for at-home socialising, through to the new 75cl sharing format, the portfolio gives retailers options for a range of shopper missions. The latest launch completes that line-up by giving the brand a natural place at the table, helping retailers extend premium cider into occasions where shoppers might otherwise step into other categories.
That occasion is a natural fit for the cider itself. Henry Westons Vintage is crafted exclusively from apples from a single year’s harvest, before being slowly matured in traditional oak vats. Its smooth, full-bodied character makes it well suited to richer dishes such as roast pork and mature cheeses.
McKinnon added: “For retailers, the opportunity is to think about format as well as product. The core 500ml Henry Westons Vintage Reserve remains incredibly important, but shoppers are buying drinks for a much wider range of occasions.
“Giving them a trusted premium cider in a format that feels right for food and sharing helps create an additional reason to buy into the category. It’s about keeping apple at the heart of the range, backing proven premium brands and making sure the formats on shelf reflect how people are drinking today.”
Westons has been making cider at its Much Marcle mill since Henry Weston founded the business in 1880, bringing more than 145 years of cider-making expertise to a category where provenance, quality and authenticity are increasingly important at the premium end.