Alcoholic Beverage

Anyone for English wine? Sales reached £25M last year

English wine sales soar: Mintel

By Mike Stones

Soaring sales of English wine, the growing popularity of low-alcohol wine and an acceptance of boxed wine are the three key conclusions of new research on the UK wine market from Mintel.

CBI survey: food and drink was the star performer

Food and drink driving growth, says CBI

By John Wood

Food and drink was one of the star performers driving growth within UK manufacturing in the last three months, according the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Crisps to go with your lager, sir? Manufacturers and retailers may turn to cross-category promotions to stem lost sales arising from a minimum price for alcohol

Food and drink combos to beat min alcohol pricing

By Freddie Dawson

Manufacturers and retailers may use cross-category promotions between drinks and food to stem lost sales arising from government plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.

Sweet spot: best selling products such as the Butterkist brand helped Tanergine win a place on the hot 100 list

Six food and drink firms feature in hot 100 list

By Mike Stones

Alcoholic drinks maker Halewood International, egg products producer Noble Foods and sweet maker Tangerine Confectionery are the top three food and drink firms included in a list of 100 British private companies with the fastest growing profits.

Soaring cider sales are thanks to product innovation, said Mintel

Cider's popularity matches lager for first time

By Mike Stones

Soaring cider sales, thanks to innovative product design, meant the beverage now rivals the popularity of lager, according to a new report from market research group Mintel.

Beer drinkers are increasingly deserting the bar for the lounge - at home.

Tesco’s Christmas surge defies flat beer sales

By Mike Stones and Freddie Dawson

The UK’s biggest off licence, Tesco, has sold a record 500,000 bottles of ale in the past two days, the largest amount it has ever sold just before Christmas, despite a recent Mintel report revealing a sharp decline in beer sales over the past five years.

EDITOR'S COMMENT: The cost of alcohol-related illnesses, absenteeism and crime is, according to the PM’s Strategy Unit, 2003, around £20bn. But against that, research firm Keynote claims the UK alcoholic drinks industry achieved over £30bn in sales in 2001. It also generates jobs and boosts the economy, but risks criticism for indifference if it doesn’t consult on government policy and claims of undue influence if it does. Health groups should welcome its engagement and recognition that alcohol misuse undermines brands. Our desire for a tipple means the UK’s alcohol sea won’t dissipate overnight. Slamming the hatch on industry would see HMS ‘DH’ dive punch drunk for unfathomed regulatory depths. A boon for civil liberties, the economy and NHS?  Ben Bouckley is FoodManufacture.co.uk deputy online editor.

Government rejects alcohol policy concerns

By Ben Bouckley

The Department of Health (DH) has defended its approach to alcohol, after public health groups alleged that the drinks industry has an undue influence on government policy.

Managers go it alone

Managers go it alone

The management buyout of one of Heineken’s Universal Beverages factories has created a new firm, Bevisol, which will ferment alcoholic beverages and supply alcoholic beverage producers.

Cornish Stingers: Is it a beer or made wine?

HMRC wine over nettle beer

By Graham Holter

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has driven a Cornish drinks producer to lower the alcoholic strength of its ‘nettle beer’ and stung it with a stiff duty bill, after it decided that the drink should be classified as a wine.

Alcoholic gels relieve taxes

Alcoholic gels relieve taxes

By Hayley Brown

Cuisinewine, supplier of alcoholic ingredients, is developing a VAT and duty-free vodka for a leading manufacturer of ready meals - in a bid to...