13-Jul-2007 By Christine Boggis of Off Licence News
Magners is facing a strike at its production plant in Ireland after making a number of changes to keep up with unprecedented demand for its cider....
Cider goes global
21-Jun-2007
Cider is on the march and much of the impetus is coming from abroad. Adrian Tierney-Jones reports from the International Exhibition of Quality Cider...
14-Jun-2007 By Rosie Davenport
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have found that some ciders contain high levels of phenolics - antioxidants linked to protection against strokes, heart disease and cancer.
11-Jun-2007
Communicating its Somerset credentials is at the heart of a new campaign for Thatchers Gold cider. As one of the few English cider makers to use...
01-Jun-2007
Halewood Int. launches Maguires cider and perry.
Ready to re-invent
25-May-2007
The easiest feature to write in the on-trade drinks industry right now is 'The Death of RTDs'. The most recent Nielsen data on the ready-to-drink...
S&N testing pear ciders
25-May-2007
Scottish & Newcastle UK (S&N UK) has confirmed that it is testing two new pear ciders, with a view to launching them later this year.Rumours...
'Supermarket prices encourage drinking at home'
16-May-2007
Deep discounting by supermarkets is encouraging more people to drink at home, says a new report by consumer analysts Mintel. It claims the in-home...
Challenge-25 example set by Asda
10-May-2007
Asda is trialling a Challenge-25 scheme at 10 stores in Scotland and has called on its off-trade rivals to follow suit. The supermarket giant already...
Don't judge a book by its cover
03-May-2007
I'm known as someone who is prone to making outlandish statements. For example, I still stand by my belief that Premiership footballer of the year...
Aspalls launches pink cider
17-Apr-2007
Aspall, makers of super premium Aspall Suffolk Cider, has launched a new pink cider to try and capitalise on the increasing popularity of rosé wine...
Chilled draught Magners trialled
12-Apr-2007
IRISH DRINKS company C&C, which owns Bulmers in Ireland and Magners in Great Britain, is trialling a super-chilled draught version of the cider...
02-Mar-2007 By Rosie Davenport
Scottish & Newcastle UK (S&NUK) is testing two new ways of serving Strongbow, including a draught version that dispenses frozen cider crystals into the glass.
27-Feb-2007
A soft toy gift pack containing alcohol has been removed from sale after breaching The Portman Group's Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and...
Green Goblin unleashed on pub trade
14-Feb-2007
Wychwood Brewery has launched a new six per cent cider targeted at the top-end of the resurgent cider market.Green Goblin, which is the result of a...
Pub sales of cider grow dramatically
01-Feb-2007 By Tony Halstead tony.halstead@william-reed.co.uk
Pub sales of cider are continuing their dramatic growth, driven predominantly by the success of Irish-bottled Magners and brand leader Bulmers...
Drinks review of the year
14-Dec-2006
HitsDavid BremnerThere are colleagues and ex-colleagues of Mr Bremner who have ribbed him mercilessly following his rise to prominence in the trade...
Magners back on TV with new winter ads
07-Dec-2006
Magners Irish Cider is back on TV this month in a campaign that also includes outdoor, radio and press ads. The TV ad runs nationally until the end...
What can you offer?
05-Dec-2006
There is no doubt when it comes to Christmas Coca-Cola rules the roost. Its TV advertising over recent years has sought to inextricably link the...
Boom in cider hits beer sales
23-Nov-2006 By Tony Halstead THals22851@aol.com
The dramatic resurgence of the cider market has helped accelerate a further decline in pub beer sales over the past 12 months, according to market...
An apple a day...
14-Nov-2006
What impact has the Magners effect had on sales of Westons' ciders?Sales of our ciders had been experiencing steady growth prior to the launch of...
Cider: a fulsome apology
09-Nov-2006
Thanks to an enterprising company, cider is the new tipple of the alcohol fashionistas - but branding isn't foolproof, claims Adam Edwards The...
The return of cider
27-Oct-2006
I feel very lucky and privileged to be working in the cider industry. Lager is - well, lager, end of story. But there's more to cider than meets the...
Credit where credit is due
09-Oct-2006
Alongside the endless press releases, invitations, bad jokes and offers to solve erectile dysfunction (or is that just me?) that fall into my inbox...
'DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT' - buyers on brands
05-Oct-2006
My first encounter with Foster's Twist almost gave me a nasty cut. I assumed that it would have a screw top, but it has a seriously sharp metal...
CAMRA urges drinkers to boycott the fizz for cider month
04-Oct-2006
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is calling on drinkers to boycott fashionable cider brands like Magners during October - the organisation's...
Sometimes the mighty fall…
15-Sep-2006
A mate of mine has been asked to work on a temporary basis for a Football League club (I'd better not name them - let's just say they're a couple of...
29-Jun-2006 By Ewan Turney
The "Magners halo effect" helped the cider market grow in the past year, in contrast to cask ale, which continued its decline. Figures from market...
S&N adds fruit cider to growing portfolio
14-Jun-2006
Scottish & Newcastle UK (S&N UK) has added another brand to its cider portfolio as it continues to meet rival Magners head on.Jacques is a...
Somerset cider toasts CAMRA top prize win
04-May-2006
Hecks Kingston Black, produced by Street-based Hecks Farmhouse Cider, has been named by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) as the best real cider in...
02-May-2006 By Iain O'Neil
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has today announced the winners of its search for the best real cider and perry in the UK.
Is Magners a victim of its own success?
19-Apr-2006
Magners has proved a big hit, but tough competition on price and a desire for something different means it has been de-listed by some pubs. Rosie...
It's all apples and pears for Brothers
22-Feb-2006
Brothers Drinks Company is to launch its famous seven per cent pear cider into the on-trade.The product made its name at the Glastonbury music...
Gaymers launches three premium ciders
10-Feb-2006
Gaymer Cider Company has launched three premium packaged ciders, supporting them with a £24m marketing budget.Gaymer's Original, Gaymer's Orchard...
Merrydown targets on-trade with new marketing push
24-Oct-2005
Merrydown is joining the cider revival with a return to active marketing in the on-trade after a 15-year gap.A new five per cent ABV blend has been...
Cider's First Lady
20-Oct-2005
Helen Thomas, managing director of Westons Cider has just become chairwoman of the National Association of Cider Makers. Jo de Mille talks to her...
New products
11-Aug-2005
Wychwood Brewery brought its new limited-edition ale to the GBBF a 4.2% abv fruity ale called Battle Axe. Wychwood's head brewer Jeremy Moss said: 'I...
Avanti report points to new future for drinks advertising
29-Jul-2005
Drinks advertisers are turning away from TV commercials in favour of promoting their brands on pub and bar plasma screens, according to a new...
Cider on the rise
21-Jul-2005
After enduring years of jokes and poor sales things are finally looking up for cider. Adam Withrington looks at cider's renaissance.Cider. What...
Brothers deal gives Freedom a chance
21-Jul-2005
Freedom Beer is to relaunch its Pilsener brand on 20 August almost a year since its former owner appealed to the Morning Advertiser to help find it a...
Magners muscles in
30-Jun-2005
Although a relative newcomer, Magners has already claimed packaged cider's top spot in the on-trade, with 30.6% market share Undoubtedly the...
Cider sales sparkle
30-Jun-2005
With value sales up a staggering 10% on last year, and attractive profit margins, cider presents a great opportunity for hosts to build profit. Nigel...
Ralph's is the cider champion
03-May-2005
Ralph's 3B's cider was picked out as the National Champion Cider of Britain last weekend.The Welsh drink, made by Ralph Owen in New Radnor, was...
Study probes cool' ads that target younger set
21-Apr-2005
by Ewan Turney A new research group is to probe whether young drinkers consume certain brands of alcoholic drink because they believe it makes them...
Magners makes inroads into UK on-trade
04-Apr-2005
Cider is the drink to look out for in the next year, according to the people behind Irish brand Magners.Announcing a major campaign to target the...
WKD owner snaps up Merrydown
16-Feb-2005
Merrydown, one of the UK's last independently-owned drinks companies, has agreed a takeover by SHS, owner of FAB brand WKD.SHS is paying 170p a share...
Core elements
04-Nov-2004
Home-grown organic apples and pears are the key ingredients for success at Dunkertons, a cider operation that also runs a restaurant. Susan Nowak...
Cider hailed as a rising star for Constellation
21-Oct-2004
by Rosie Davenport Constellation Europe has created a division to champion its cider business as it pledges to take a "fresh approach" to the...
The grape that thinks it's a brand
13-Oct-2004
In the first part of a new series of features Adam Withrington looks at the chardonnay grape, probably the most famous of wine varieties.This is the...
Cider puts the sparkle back into Merrydown
11-Dec-2003
Is cider recapturing some of its old strength? Life has not been easy for the cider men with the problems at HP Bulmer, the front runner, underlining...
