Sales soar for Aspall Cyder, Molson Coors’ U.K. super-premium hard cider brand

From Molson Coors & Peter Frost:

Coming off a $16 million facility modernization project and its first-ever TV ad, Aspall Cyder in 2022 booked record growth in the U.K., boosted by skyrocketing sales in the on-premise and a particularly strong final quarter of the year.   zzubreebym

The Suffolk-based cider brand, which traces its history back 295 years, has grown share of the U.K. super-premium hard cider market by 19 points since 2019 in the on-premise, where it now accounts for 65% of super-premium cider sales, according to total Great Britain on-trade CGA data. Its rapid growth in bars, pubs and restaurants has been helped by additional placements in national pub companies and independent venues.

Aspall also turned in a solid 2022 in the off-premise, helped by the launch of new multipacks of its Draught Cyder, which have generated 23% incremental sales to the brand. Overall, Aspall grew sales by 16% in the channel in the fourth quarter, compared with the same period a year prior, according to IRI all-outlet data. It’s now the No. 2 super-premium cider in grocery, data show. 

“Aspall’s heritage, coupled with its great taste, have established its place as the number one super premium cider in the UK. Our significant investment in the brand over the past year, led by the ad campaign, has really helped us to build on this popularity and unleash Aspall’s full potential,” says Stuart Ayre, who leads marketing for cider brands for Molson Coors in the U.K., citing IRI and CGA data.

Molson Coors, which acquired Aspall in 2018, completed a three-year project in 2022 designed to increase production by nearly 60% to about 70 million pints of cider annually. It also made a significant investment into a marketing campaign last summer that included the brand’s first-ever TV advertisement.

“The record growth we’ve seen ties in with the wider trend towards premium options, which shows no sign of slowing down, so we’re confident Aspall will continue to grow,” Ayre says. “We’ll keep investing in the brand to maintain the momentum we’ve generated, engage consumers and ultimately help our customers to make the most of the opportunities it can provide to grow sales.”