A new orange-flavoured cider from Thatchers cider mill near Bristol has been named the most popular new alcoholic drink in Britain. The brand's Blood Orange cider, which was trialled in selected pubs across Bristol in 2021 and then rolled out into stores across the country in 2022, has been named the most successful new alcoholic drink.
It has been bought by more people this year than any other newly-launched drink in the ‘BWS sector’ - the beer, wine and spirit market that includes ciders. The cider mill, farm and orchards based at Sandford, near Bristol, also launched a dark fruits variety this year to join previously launched cider variations, including cloudy lemon and Thatchers Haze, which were launched in recent years.
Retails sales figures released by the Kantar Shoppers Panel and the IRI sales up to the first week of October have revealed Thatchers Blood Orange variety has become one of the top four best-selling fruit ciders in the UK, just months after it was launched in supermarkets across the country, and has sold more bottles and cans in stores than all the other new ciders launched in 2022 combined.
Read next: Thatchers Cider sue Aldi over 'copycat' cloudy lemon drink
Chris Milton, director for ‘off-sales trade’ at Thatchers, said shoppers are getting more adventurous in what kind of drinks they’ll try - and Blood Orange has proved very popular. “Blood Orange has tapped into the biggest flavour trend for this year, helping reinvigorate the category,” he said.
“As shoppers are getting more adventurous, looking for excitement and innovation alongside knowing they are purchasing a great quality cider, Thatchers Blood Orange is a fantastic example of how an exciting, premium cider has had an impact nationally in the market,” he added.
For the few Bristolians who haven’t tried it - the drink is not that strong for a cider, just 4 per cent - and is made with some of the sweetest apple varieties of Braeburn, Fuji and Gala, with a twist of citrusy orange flavour.
Last week, Bristol Live reported that Thatchers is taking legal action against Aldi over claims the German-owned supermarket chain had copied the branding and packaging of its version of lemon cider, and the two products were so similar, people would think the Thatchers original version was being sold in Aldi.
Read more:
- There's more to Sandford than Hot Fuzz or even cold fizz
- Aldi's Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake is coming back
- Thatchers cider-making apprenticeships open for applications
- Thatchers giving away 100 apple trees so people can make their own cider
- Thatchers have released a zero-alcohol cider
- Thatchers Cider boss ‘devastated’ by Countering Colston boycott campaign
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