The dynamic landscape of the UK’s alcoholic beverage market is witnessing a distinct shift, with European-style fruit-led beers emerging as the fastest growing sector. Tesco has reported a staggering 250% increase in sales volumes of these beers over the past year, signalling a significant transformation in consumer preferences within the beer segment.
Fruit-led beers have been staples in numerous western European nations, including France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Italy, for quite some time. In the UK, interest in such beers has notably surged over the last decade and a half, with certain products, like the Belgian strawberry brews Fruli and Bacchus Kriek, as well as the German shandy-style beer Radler and the Spanish Damm Lemon, gaining considerable traction.
Ben Cole, a beer buyer at Tesco, remarked, “The soaring demand for fruit-led brews, particularly lager, has taken the UK drinks market by storm and is the biggest trend to hit the beer scene since the craft boom started more than 15 years ago.” His observations highlight the impact of the craft beer movement in broadening palates and introducing consumers to a diverse array of flavour profiles, particularly those with fruity notes.
A key player in this rapidly evolving scene is Jubel, a brand that carved a niche in the UK’s fruit lager market with its launch seven years ago. Jubel has expanded to offer five distinct varieties—peach, mango, blood orange, lemon, and grapefruit—all maintaining a typical strength of 4% ABV. The brand reported a remarkable 300% growth in volume sales at Tesco, underscoring the increasing consumer appetite for such products.
Jubel's founder, Jesse Wilson, drew inspiration for the brand from a ski trip to France, where he encountered Bière Pêche—lager topped with peach. He recognised the potential for creating a refreshing pint that would appeal to UK drinkers. "I thought that style of lager could be the perfectly refreshing pint in pubs and that’s where our business grew, with word of mouth spreading rapidly," Wilson explained. He added that their flagship peach lager has evolved into the fifth largest craft beer in the on-trade based on CGA-reported volumes.
The current trajectory of the fruit-led beer market indicates that brands focusing on this trend may find substantial growth opportunities. With retailers like Tesco acknowledging fruit-led beers as the foremost trend since the craft beer movement, stakeholders in the alcoholic drinks sector are poised to reassess their strategies in response to evolving consumer tastes.
In conclusion, the growing popularity of fruity beers represents a significant market shift, driven by changing consumer preferences and the influence of the craft beer movement. Brands looking to capitalise on this trend should consider the strategic implications of product development, marketing, and distribution to effectively engage this burgeoning consumer base.
Source: Noah Wire Services