“We’re seeing legacy fruit brands continuing to take up valuable shelf space beyond the point where consumer interest has waned,” says Joanna Austin, commercial director at Thatchers Cider. “This doesn’t suggest fruit cider has had its day… it underlines the need for a more selective approach.”

Sales data supports this view. While overall cider sales have achieved value growth of 0.1% to £910.2m on volumes down 1.4%, fruit cider has crashed 12.9% in value and 11% in volume [Worldpanel]. Traditional apple cider, meanwhile, is up by 2.7% in value, though volumes have dipped 1.7%.