Cider hits historic £2bn valuation for UK pubs, Heineken finds
Heineken has attributed this trend to ‘premiumisation’ in the category for both apple and flavoured variants, which has tapped into the consumer’s desire to “trade up”
The cider category in UK pubs, bars and restaurants has reached a “historic” record worth of £2bn to UK pubs, due to ‘premiumisation’ driving its value by 5% over the last two years, according to Heineken’s Cider Report 2025.
The report found that 342 million pints of cider and around 114 million bottles have been sold in the last year across the on-trade, making it the second most popular alcoholic drink by volume in the sector.
As a result, value sales have outstripped volume over the last 12 months. Cider on tap now makes up 77% of on-trade cider sales by volume, equivalent to £1.4bn in value to the on-trade as a whole. On average, it is worth £21,500 a year to an operator.
Heineken has attributed this trend to ‘premiumisation’ in the category for both apple and flavoured variants, which has tapped into the consumer’s desire to “trade up”.
Meanwhile, packaged cider still remains a “vital” part of the cider offer as it allows for a greater range of flavours and varieties.
Some 28% of cider sales are made “through the fridge” in the on-trade compared with just 8% of beer sales. Premium flavoured ciders were found to be the dominant force, growing to 72% of cider sales, while no-and-low alcohol options also saw growth – up 11% in the last year.
Will Rice, on-trade sales director at Heineken UK, said: “The Cider Public House Rules report reaffirms that there should be huge optimism for the category. Cider remains a staple for the vast majority of pubs and bars in the UK and consumers view it as a key part of the quintessential pub and bar experience. In fact, 79% of consumers say it is an important consideration when choosing where to visit.
“What we have clearly seen in this report, is that the operators that invest in their cider range, either by increasing the number of packaged products or adding an additional line to the bar, are being really rewarded with increased money in the till. For what is a financially tough time for the sector, ensuring your cider offer is fit for purpose is a really easy win.”