Somersby fruit flavours

Carlsberg is looking to grab a slice of the fruit cider market with the launch of three new flavours under its Somersby brand.

Somersby Blackberry and Cranberry (4% abv) are available in a 500ml bottle (rsp: £1.99) and a 4x330ml pack (rsp: £5), while Apple Burst - which is 4.5% abv and is described as sweeter than the original apple flavour - is priced at £1.89 (500ml) and £4.50 (4x330ml). All six SKUs are available in Asda now, with a Tesco listing imminent.

“Cider in the UK is growing faster than the total alcohol category, and in the past 12 months off-trade sales of fruit flavoured cider grew 30%,” said Carlsberg UK director of brand and insight David Scott. “We know there is a strong consumer desire for great-tasting fruit flavoured ciders and we’re confident our three new flavours will attract more consumers to the category.”

Sales of Somersby Original grew more than 60% last year to £9.78m – but still accounts for less than 1% of the cider category [Nielsen 52 w/e 11 October 2014].

Last month, Carling brand director Jim Shearer told The Grocer the Carling British Cider range would be limited to three flavours, and that increasing the size of a range beyond this resulted in diminishing returns.

Earlier this month, AB InBev expanded its Stella Artois Cidre range to five flavours with the launch of peach and elderflower variants.