Westons' cricket sponsorship deal with ECB is big step forward for cider industry

11-Apr-2012 - Last updated on 11-Mar-2017 at 22:33 GMT

'Sponsorship deals like Weston's with the ECB will go a long way to growing the cider sector', says Noli Dinkovski

Westons’ deal with the English and Welsh Cricket Board takes cider sponsorship into a whole new, erm, ball game. Not because it’s the first sports-related cider sponsorship of its kind — Magners has had numerous tie-ups with rugby and golf in the past, for instance.

No, it’s because Westons, which is effectively a regional producer, now has the leverage to invest in such activity.

While Stowford Press remains some way below market leader Strongbow in the draught-cider market, it’s certainly going in the right direction, having grown by 36% in value sales in the year to 21 January (CGA Strategy).

The tie-up takes me back five years to when Marston’s Pedigree became the Official Beer of England Cricket. Then, I was new to writing about the pub trade, and like so many unquestioning consumers, knew plenty about my mainstream lagers and not much else.

Pedigree’s involvement with cricket took the beer into the mainstream, and into the mindset of people like me, who had previously succumbed to believing ale belonged to a generation other than my own.

Even though I haven’t been so naive with cider and enjoyed many a pint of Stowford, such sponsorships will go a long way to growing the sector. After all, cider and cricket are a perfect match. As long as the sun is shining, of course.