Cider Report 2026: In-Cider Knowledge, new from Heineken, shows that we are still a nation of cider fans, with sales up 3.5% ABV year on year.
Cider the second fastest-growing drinks category in the on-trade, according to the latest data from NIQ. It now has more than 9% volume share of total wet sales in the on-trade, selling the equivalent of 96 pints and 25 bottles per pub per week across the UK on-trade. That makes the category worth approximately £443 in sales to an average pub every week.
The new figures also show that cider has seen the largest increase in serves per occasion in the last year, up by nearly a fifth (+19%) to 3.2 serves per occasion. This is in line with Beer, at 3.3 serves per occasion.
Growth is being driven by the rising popularity of mainstream apple and premium draught, as evidenced by the brands which experienced the two biggest increases in value over the period: Inch’s, up 28% to £260m, and Aspall Cyder, up 14% to £149m.
While it remains a crucial choice for wet-led occasions, more than 40% of cider drinking now takes place while eating.
“The UK is world’s largest cider market, with over 450 cider makers across the country producing from orchard to glass, and this latest report shows that, as a nation, our passion for cider remains strong,” said Will Rice, on-trade sales director at Heineken UK.
“As the second fastest-growing drinks category in the UK on-trade, and growing in popularity across new occasions, particularly with food, cider is a category fully deserving of space and focus in pubs and bars of all sizes and shapes.
“Our goal at Heineken UK is always to help licensees maximise value in their outlets, and so we’ve designed this report to help them make the most of the opportunity and to sell more cider, to more people, more often.”
