The cider category still continued to grow with more brand owners seeing the opportunity to fill the gap from the decline of the PPS market. Innovation has contributed to this growth and although the “Cider over Ice” concept is slowing brands are seeing the benefit of moving to draught options as consumers are reverting to drinking Ciders and Perry that were once classed as unfashionable in the drinking arena.

Younger drinkers are more promiscuous and have larger repertoires to suit different drinking occasion and situations, and are much more likely to experiment and discover new brands and tastes. This is being driven by the continuous innovation in the “Cider with Fruit” category, as brand owners see the opportunities for filling the gap in the RTD market.

However, this innovation has not catapulted cider into growth alone: the premium end of the market is perfectly positioned to meet the consumers’ increasing demand for local, natural and premium products with interesting provenance.