CAMRA urges licensees to capitalise on the growth of the cider market by selling real cider and perry.

As the cider market enjoys unprecedented growth, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is asking pubs to stock real cider and perry in October after new research revealed that 69% of pub goers will drink them if they are available at the bar.

CAMRA carried out the research to mark the beginning of National Cider Month in October. Real cider is a long-established drink which is produced naturally from apples and is neither carbonated nor pasteurised. As cider is made from apples, perry is made from perry pears.

The online survey revealed that:

• 69% of pub goers will be inspired to drink real cider and perry in a pub when it is available.
• 81% of women pub goers said they would drink real cider or perry in a pub when it is available.
• 22% of people that have tried real cider did so because they heard it was tastier than fizzy, mass-produced ciders.

Gillian Williams, CAMRA’s Chair of Cider and Perry campaigning, said: “This research proves that people are keen to seek out the delicious multilayered taste of real cider and perry, but unfortunately it is hard to find in many pubs.

“The overall cider market grew by a phenomenal 33% in the last year* and an opportunity exists to build on that success with real ciders and perries. Licensees that want to attract customers by offering something truly original, tasty and natural should forget fizzy, chilled humdrum ciders and make real cider and perry a feature in their pub.”

CAMRA has put an online resource for licensees to source real cider and perry suppliers on its website at www.camra.org.uk/cidermonth

Despite overall growth in the cider market, further research from CAMRA revealed that:

• Only 50% of adults in the UK have ever tried real cider and perry.
• Only 36% of 18-34 year olds have ever tried real cider, compared to 63% of people aged 45-54 and 61% of people aged 55-64.
• In London only 41% of people had ever tried real cider – the lowest number of any region in England. The highest percentage of people to have drunk real cider are in Wales and the West/South West of England (63%).

(Taken from CAMRA tracking omnibus survey June 2007 from a sample of 1000 adults in the UK)

Gillian Williams added:

“In the pub beer was traditionally drank by men, and wine by women, however in the 21st Century cider and perry are enjoyed equally by everyone. Frankly licensees that do not take advantage of this demand for real cider and perry are doing themselves and their customers an injustice. A locally produced, real cider or perry makes a welcome addition to any bar.”