Drinks Sector News

Sugar tax is “working”

Sales of sugar-free drinks are up, whilst those with full sugar are in decline. What’s more, new sugar-free variants of popular drinks have gained distribution in major retailers. “The soft drinks industry levy is working,” wrote Jack Winkler and Tam Fry, emeritus professor of nutrition policy at London Metropolitan University and National Obesity Forum chair…

Gin made from waste grapes arrives in the UK

Gin produced using surplus table grapes will be launched in the UK on and off-trade next week. Fruit supplier Richard Hochfield imports around 500,000 tonnes of the fresh grapes from Africa and South America every year. However, 2.7% of them – or about 1.4 million punnets’ worth – are not suitable for sale. Rather than…

Carlsberg UK has incorporated a duo of sustainable packaging innovations into the launch of its Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. A new Snap Pack bonds packs of beers together using an innovative glue technology that replaces the need for traditional, bulky plastic rings. The pack is held together with small pieces of a specially developed glue in…

Heineken’s new brand extension, Heineken 0.0, has been “very well received” and is now available in 38 markets worldwide, according to the company’s latest annual report. “The growth of the low- and no-alcohol segment is expected to continue  and our ambition is to be the leader in this space,” the brewer noted. “We aim to…

Carlsberg finds cheer in alcohol-free sales

Carlsberg has committed to put “a lot of money” into its alcohol-free beers following impressive growth in the category, particularly in Western Europe. “The alcohol-free brews category offers excellent margin opportunities and is growing across Western Europe and also in Eastern Europe,” the brewer noted in its annual report, published this month. “We believe it…

World Cup gives beer sales a record boost

England’s successful World Cup run in 2018 coupled with the summer heatwave and a duty freeze contributed to the best year for beer sales in a generation. Total beer sales increased by 2.6% across the on and off trades in 2018, representing the biggest year-on-year growth for 45 years. Retailers, in particular, benefited from the…

January presents publicans with a challenge as consumers embark on a detox regime following the indulgent festive season. Indeed, this year a reported 4.2 million people tried to abstain from alcohol in January; what’s more there is a sugar levy on soft drinks. However, the increasing popularity of “Dry January” has boosted alcohol-free trends, with…

Microbreweries are booming as EU beer production grows despite a drop in overall alcohol consumption, a new report finds. By David Burrows. What has been published? The Brewers of Europe’s latest statistics. Basically, it’s a state-of-the-sector review, highlighting how much beer was made and drunk in the EU in 2017. It showed that there’s been…

Kellogg’s has partnered with a local Salford brewery to turn wasted corn flakes into premium beer. The new ‘Throw Away IPA’ is brewed using flakes that are too big, small or overcooked and would normally be used as animal feed. The IPA is being produced by Salford brewery, Seven Bro7hers, which occupies a site next…

The pint-sized drinks business setting the bar high

Ahead of the launch of Footprint’s new drinks section in January, chief executive Stephen Glancey explains why C&C Group remains an industry outsider despite this year’s acquisition spree. By Nick Hughes. One can only assume Stephen Glancey is being modest when he describes C&C Group as a "small, local" business. With net revenue totalling over…