And its typically smaller, impartial manufacturers which can be catering for these customers, in keeping with product intelligence enterprise Vypr, which surveyed its database of 65,000 customers.
Rising consciousness
9 out of 10 Brits mentioned they wish to strive a low calorie beer and there was excessive consciousness with virtually two thirds of UK customers (62%) having heard of them.
The most well-liked manufacturers are Bud Gentle (54% Brits have tried it), Coors Gentle (47%), Heineken Gentle (42%) and Becks (40%).
In the meantime, gluten-free stays an attraction for customers: 45% of Brits surveyed mentioned they’re conscious of some of these beer.
Males aged 25 – 34 are the most important gluten free beer drinkers whereas it’s older males (aged 35 – 44) who go for a low calorie choice.
Essentially the most generally tried gluten-free manufacturers are Peroni (38%), Stella (30%) and Skinny Lager (26%).
However lesser recognized breweries additionally featured within the high 10 listing: with 18% having drunk Leeds’ Kirkstall Brewery’s Kirkstall Virtuous (a vegan, gluten-free IPA) and an extra 18% having sampled natural craft beer from Scotland’s Black Isle Brewery.
Smaller manufacturers carve out alcohol-free
The low and no alcohol class continues to achieve momentum. As soon as a really area of interest class, 91% of Brits now say they might be occupied with making an attempt these merchandise.
And its the smaller manufacturers which can be seeing success within the alcohol-free part. Whereas essentially the most acknowledged high three manufacturers are nonetheless worldwide breweries – particularly Heineken (49%), then Becks and Peroni (equal second place with 46% of Brits who drink beer saying they’ve tried these brews) – quite a lot of different breweries additionally made it into the highest 10 manufacturers.
These embrace Erdinger (12%), Doom Bar (10%) from Cornwall’s Sharp’s Brewery, the totally alcohol-free product vary from Days (9%) and IPAs from London’s Beavertown (9%).
Ben Davies, founding father of Vypr, mentioned: “There’s a enormous number of specialist beers obtainable now that may cater for all tastes, in addition to allergy symptoms and private preferences for more healthy choices. It’s attention-grabbing that the most important UK breweries don’t characteristic any merchandise inside this listing and it’s the worldwide manufacturers and smaller UK based mostly breweries who’re making headway.
“That is an space which is able to proceed to develop and extra manufacturers coming into this sector should compete on worth in addition to after all having an important tasting product. Which means alternative will solely get higher for customers and entice extra into this as soon as area of interest space.”
And worth may very well be key. Gluten-free, low-alcohol and different specialist beers typically include a better price ticket than their mainstream counterparts: however Vypr’s analysis means that this may very well be hindering the total potential of the class.
“At present two thirds of UK customers wouldn’t be prepared to pay extra for gluten-free or low, which exhibits that with extra competitors to drive costs down there’s a enormous variety of beer drinkers who may very well be drawn to this sector,” mentioned Davies.
Sustainability can also be a key pattern for the beer business. However in distinction to gluten-free and low-alcohol beers, customers are extra prepared to pay extra for merchandise they take into account extra environmentally pleasant: over half (52%) of customers say they might be comfortable to pay extra for a sustainable model.
