Ideally, Cook would like to see a line given over to a craft cider-maker’s product to explore the opportunity of bringing new drinkers into the fold. It’s blended from early Discovery, crunchy Falstaff, ever-popular Gala and sweet Jonagold apple varieties.

At the point of pour, the Thatchers Fusion Font infuses a micro measure of the selected fruit flavour into a pint of Thatchers premium apple cider, creating one of three freshly mixed ciders. Thatchers aired on national TV with Time Stops in 2015, with the concept of showcasing the 12:30pm tasting that happens every Friday at Myrtle Farm, claiming the cider isn’t released until Martin Thatcher has tasted each batch after arriving in a balloon. Cider consumers are predominantly younger, visit pubs, bars and restaurants more frequently, and spend more on food and drink per month than the average British consumer so that is set to be the case still in 2022. More people in the UK drink cider while watching sport at a pub than other types of alcohol and the same goes for a date night while a get-together with friends or family is rated as the biggest occasion to drink cider and is identical to doing so while enjoying other alcoholic drinks. Although London and the south-east have larger percentages that consume cider, it trades slightly below other forms of alcohol.Carling Black Fruit Cider also travelled down the list from sixth place last year to ninth this year and sales figures for the brand were down by 29. We believe there’s a huge opportunity for outlets to help build momentum and make the most of on-trade cider in the year ahead. Heineken cites its Strongbow Original, Strongbow Dark Fruit as obvious choices for pub operators to sell but also states its more premium brands such as Old Mout and Orchard Thieves as additions too. It’s blended from classic west country apple varieties like the bittersweet Dabinett and Harry Masters Jersey. Finally, Thatchers Haze Cloudy Somerset Cider with 50g of sugar, is more than a 100g bag of Haribo Starmix.

Third-placed Thatchers Gold also didn’t move from the previous year but saw a decrease in volume sales of from 166,054HL to 135,806HL (18. Cider is the ultimate thirst quencher on a warm summer’s day but it can also be so much more than that. Bringing together three new Thatchers infused premium fruit flavours in a world first for cider, this summer it’s all about the Thatchers 3 in 1 Fusion Font, the new way of serving fruit cider. Crafted from a blend of our favourite apples, including Dabinett and Harry Masters Jersey, Gold sets the standard. Westons said: “The year of the apple is upon us and it is premium and crafted apple ciders that will be the driving forces for growth in 2022, as on-trade outlets ready themselves for a continued rebalancing of value and volume sales, which will swing further in their favour over the next 12 months.The original variant experienced a fall in volume sales of 28% to 230,277 hectolitres (HL) and value fell by 26. Premium apple ciders, examples given include Stowford Press, Thatchers Gold, Thatchers Haze and Symonds, now measure 38% of total draught apple cider sales (up 1. However, according to Lumina cider is less likely to be consumed with meals so operators could steal a march by making it more popular.

He explains: “So often there isn't enough nuance or understanding about the amazing breadth of opportunities and types and styles that exist for cider. Meanwhile, while volume share was 17:83 in the midst of Covid in 2020, it has now climbed back slightly to 24:76. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise that it is not safe to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis ( source).These are classic to Herefordshire, Somerset and Devon, and these are the apples that the likes of Westons and Thatchers use but they dilute their ciders so they’re sort of lightweight and gentle but you could have some more robust and full-bodied cider. As the cider is being dispensed through the Fusion Font it delivers a unique sensory experience of flavour and aroma. Cook is an award-winning global cider expert and campaigner who you may have seen on TV as the regular face of cider on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch​.

It has a toned down taste of your classic Somerset ciders with a good balance of bitter apples but low in tannin. Cider over-indexes during outdoor drinking and sport watching occasions,” explains Darryl Hinksman, Head of Business Development at Westons Cider. The report states this has been down to operational reasons and is being driven by the growth in packaged fruit as volume shifts from the front of the bar back to the chiller as draught fruit taps have been removed due to keg rationalisation and reduced footfall. In fact, some cider businesses are so confident that trade will be back with a boom, one has already labelled it ‘Year of the Apple’.ABV cider “provides the option for anyone who is not drinking alcohol to enjoy a fresh, crisp and tasty cider that is dispensed on the bar, creating theatre and anticipation as the sparkling, golden liquid hits the glass”. The sweet freshness of this cider means it will easily carry strong aromatics and a little chilli heat. With summer fast approaching, it’s crucial pubs and bars get their cider offering right to maximise value sales. Apple cider dominates the draught cider market, accounting for three out of every four draught serves with premium brands showing the strongest growth. Aspall Cyder is ideally placed to meet this uplift in demand, with its provenance and unique east coast apple taste combining to create a unique option for consumers looking for something more sophisticated.