May 3, 2018
SHS Drinks is broadening its heritage cider offering this summer with the reintroduction of Merrydown Dry. With glass-bottled apple ciders currently growing at an extremely robust +14.5%1 in the impulse channel, the Company believes that it’s the perfect time to launch a new product and grow the Merrydown range to a total of three complementary variants.
This latest development from Britain’s fastest growing and No.1 sharing cider2 will provide a boost for the impulse sector’s £76 million glass bottled cider category3 and result in a range of Merrydown cider styles able to meet a host of consumer needs and occasions.
The reintroduction of Merrydown Dry will address the joint demands of both consumers and trade stockists who were disappointed to see it withdrawn in 2017.
Packaged in the distinctive Merrydown 750ml glass sharing bottle and with a fresh label design to complement that introduced across the whole brand in 2017, new Merrydown Dry will be available from mid-May. With screw-cap closures and trade units of 6 and 12-bottle shrink-wrapped trays, the relaunched product will be available in the impulse sector at an RRP* of £2.69.
Merrydown Dry is a refreshingly crisp cider with a distinctive appley bite; it is made with the same perfect Sussex blend that has been delighting cider-lovers for decades.
Like all members of the Merrydown family, Dry contains no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours and is both vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Merrydown ciders are made from hand-picked eating apples, as opposed to the bitter-sweet cider apples used by most producers. Merrydown’s apples are pressed within 24 hours to ensure maximum freshness and then double filtered to guarantee a crisp finish.
The relaunch of Merrydown Dry will be supported by on-shelf POS, trade mailers, and a social media campaign including giveaways and teaser posts. Support for the overall brand celebrates the ‘Merrydown Moment’ at the end of the day when cider-lovers want to sit down, relax, unwind and share a treat, and employs the strapline “Love your Merrydown time.”
With the reintroduction of Dry, the brand’s range now comprises three variants:
- Merrydown Dry: ABV: 6.8%; taste profile: dry (crisp and dry with an appley bite).
- Merrydown Original: ABV: 7.5%; taste profile: medium/sweet (smooth and fruity).
- Merrydown Crisp Apple: ABV: 5.5%; taste profile: crisp and light (30% less calories; only naturally sweetened with apple juice).
All three Merrydown ciders have the same £2.69 RRP* and are packaged in 750ml screw-cap bottles and sold in 6 and 12-pack trade units. The 750ml resealable sharing format gives Merrydown a point of difference over most other bottled ciders which are sold in 500ml crown-cap bottles.
Merrydown was created in 1946 by three friends who shared a passion for cider-making. Now, as in the beginning, the focus is purely on producing high-quality apple ciders. In the impulse channel, glass-bottled apple ciders are growing at +14.5%1, whereas bottled flavoured ciders are declining by -3.1%1; the reintroduction of Merrydown Dry will drive further apple cider growth.
Amanda Grabham, Head of Brand Marketing – Alcohol at SHS Drinks, says: “Back by popular demand is an oft overstated claim but with Merrydown Dry it is wholly appropriate: trade stockists and cider-lovers really missed it, so we had a re-think and brought it back. We’re confident that Dry’s loyal fans and previous trade stockists will welcome it back with open arms.
“Merrydown was created over 70 years ago by three founders each with different strengths and qualities and it’s great to see the current Merrydown portfolio now contain three high-quality variants, each with its own strengths and characteristics.
“Lighter, lower strength, lower-calorie Merrydown Crisp Apple has tapped into the trend for moderating consumption; award-winning best-seller Merrydown Original has focused on its heritage and quality cues and is currently growing volume at over +38% in impulse1; and the reintroduction of the much-missed Merrydown Dry variant will fuel further growth in the buoyant glass bottled apple cider segment in the convenience sector.
“With the sought-after return of Merrydown Dry, consumers can now relax and enjoy their Down-time with some extra dryness,” concludes Grabham.
Source1: Nielsen Scantrack GB – Impulse Glass Bottled Cider volume (L) 12 weeks to 24.03.18
Source2: Nielsen Scantrack GB – Grocery Mults Glass Bottled Cider value (£) 26 weeks to 27.01.18
Source3: Nielsen Scantrack GB – Impulse Glass Bottled Cider value (£) MAT to 24.03.18
Source4: Nielsen Scantrack GB – Impulse Glass Bottled Cider volume (L) MAT to 25.02.17
* Recommended Retail Price
Apr 22, 2018
A new smart phone app called Pint Please is being developed in UK for its launch here in June 2018.
Pint Please helps people find cider (and beer), learn more about different cider or cider makers, and directs them to places to buy the ciders and beers they want to drink. Pint Please is also a powerful marketing tool for brand owners and collects valuable data and analytics on drinking habits.
It’s free to post cider brands and cider maker profiles on the app and with version 1 already running in Europe, version 2.0 for the UK will include a ‘buy
now’ button so people can click straight through to the cider shop or retailer.
If you want to post your cider brands on the app, please contact
Jane or find out more here:
Apr 6, 2018
Thatchers has introduced a new seasonal cider into its traditional premium range for 2018. Summer Vintage, a 7.4% cider available in 500ml bottles, has been inspired by a stroll through the cidermaker’s Somerset orchards, to create a light yet full flavoured cider for the summer months.
With a touch of sweetness from Thatchers’ choice of dessert apples, and added body and depth from bittersweet, this is a well-balanced, medium dry cider, with all important freshness for the warmer weather.
Martin Thatcher, fourth generation of the Sandford-based cidermaker says, “We first made this cider back in 2016 as a limited edition, and thanks to popular demand we’re now making it again for this year’s summer season. I love this cider – it’s easy to drink, naturally light in colour, with a delicate aroma, but at the same time has a rounded, full flavour, that comes from the mix of bittersweet and dessert apples that we press and blend here at Myrtle Farm.
“We hope that people will really enjoy this cider while – hopefully – enjoying the delights of the British summer.”
Thatchers Summer Vintage will sit alongside Thatchers Vintage and Thatchers Katy, and will be available online at www.thatcherscider.co.uk, in 279 Tesco stores nationwide from April 2018, and locally in the Thatchers Cider Shop in Sandford, Somerset.
Apr 3, 2018
Staff at Aston Manor Cider’s Tiverton site are celebrating achieving the top AA+ grade in the BRC Global Standard for alcoholic drinks and fermented/brewed products again, following an unannounced and rigorous audit.
The UK’s leading independent cidermaker is one of only a few alcohol manufacturers to secure this AA+ accreditation. Not only do Aston Manor boast top marks at the Tiverton facility, their site on Thimble Mill Lane in Birmingham has also earnt the same certification.
The BRC Global Standard audit is the most renowned certification program in the industry and examines all areas of Aston Manor’s operation. It has been developed to provide a framework for managing the quality and safety of food and drinks products. By displaying the highest-levels of manufacturing processes to packaging standards, the accreditation has demonstrated Aston Manor’s commitment to safety and their customers through the quality of their products.
Jamie Weall, head of compliance at Aston Manor Cider, said: “We’re delighted to achieve the top result again at our Tiverton facility. By achieving the best possible score at the unannounced audit really proves our entire team is dedicated to producing the best possible cider in the safest way. Our customers can have total confidence that everything that we produce at Aston Manor Cider is manufactured and packaged at the highest standard possible in the industry.”
“The real testament to our team is that they do not rest on their laurels. We have around 20 technical audits each year, with half of these being unannounced, and the hard work has already begun to maintain these high standards. We strive to keep achieving the top grades throughout these procedures whenever and wherever the auditors decided to drop by.”
Mar 23, 2018
We’re pleased to bring you another recipe from The Fuss Free Foodie – Old Rosie Chicken with French Peas.
Visit the recipe page to find out more and watch the video. Looks like a great choice for Sunday dinner with friends!
You can find out more about The Fuss Free Foodie on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Mar 19, 2018
Fourth generation cidermaker Thatchers will be driving awareness of its Katy Single Variety cider this spring with an outdoor and sampling campaign with retailers.
Thatchers Katy, a traditional premium cider, has been crafted at Myrtle Farm for over 21 years, enjoying national distribution. It is being featured in an extensive outdoor campaign, including six-sheet and digital screen panels nationally supporting listings in Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Booker.
This will be accompanied by couponing and in-store sampling, as well as consumer advertising in retailer publications.
James Kennedy, head of off-trade for Somerset cidermaker Thatchers says,
“We’re seeing a major move towards premiumisation in the cider category. Consumers are prepared to spend more to enjoy a high quality, premium cider like Thatchers Katy. The values of heritage and provenance are important to consumers and there’s no better heritage than four generations of cidermaking here at Myrtle Farm, and over 500 acres of our own Somerset orchard.
“The Katy apple is grown in our orchards here at Myrtle Farm and is a very special apple to us, characterised by its beautiful bright red skin. A dessert apple, it provides the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness for a single variety cider, and is the perfect apple for an expertly crafted, traditional premium cider, a key message of this campaign.
“Apple ciders dominate the traditional premium sector, which is showing strong sales growth (up 15.9% vs YA*).
“This campaign will achieve an estimated 55 million views, bringing Thatchers Katy to the front of mind with consumers over the Easter period.”
A softly sparkling Somerset Cider, Katy is pressed and bottled at Thatchers’ Myrtle Farm from the red, juicy Katy apple. The 7.4% single variety cider is medium dry, with its natural fruit acidity making it a great pairing for foods such as fish and white meats.
The new campaign follows the first solus campaign for Katy, which appeared in November and December 2017, in the run-up to the Christmas period, and now appears pre and post Easter, a key time of the year for cider purchase.
The campaign runs from 26th March to 6th May, and includes participation in the Tesco Cider Festival.
The Thatchers cider brands will be front of mind with the public once again this year. Thatchers’ 2018 activity started in February with its TV campaign for Thatchers Gold, continuing throughout Spring and Summer with a refreshed marketing campaign with What Cider’s Supposed to Taste Like, including digital, social media, consumer and trade press, PR, as well as a new experiential and sampling campaign being launched in April.
Thatchers Katy has an RRP £2.00 for 500ml NRB
www.thatcherscider.co.uk
Ends
*Source: IRI value MAT 06.01.2018
