Cheeze release us! UK's Leading Plant-Based Cheeze Launches Snacking Net with Applewood Vegan

One of the UK's top plant-based cheezes is gearing up for spring and the arrival of the picnic season with the launch of its first-ever vegan snacking cheeze.

Multi-award-winning Applewood Vegan will be available to buy in Minis format at Morrisons stores across the country from 27 March.

Applewood Vegan is part of the Norseland portfolio of cheeses, which consist of both dairy and vegan,  and the company is the established blended and snacking cheese specialist in the UK so has many years of experience making the best snacking cheeses in the UK.

Applewood Vegan Minis will be the snacking format of Applewood Vegan, the UKs second best-selling plant-based cheese, and it's going to be fortified with B12 and calcium. It's coconut based and is free from dairy, lactose, soya, gluten and palm oil. (Ideal for people like my wife who is allergic to soya and is also a coeliac.)

Talking about the launch of the Applewood Vegan Minis, Ffion Davies, Brand Manager for Applewood and Applewood Vegan, said: "We're really very excited to be bringing Applewood Vegan Minis to the market. 

"When we launched Applewood Vegan in block format back in October 2019, the demand was so strong the supermarkets stocking it sold out in only a matter of a few hours. 

"Since then, we have launched Applewood Vegan Slices and Grated, have gone on to win 11 awards, and Applewood is now the second best-selling plant-based cheeze in the country.

"We can't wait to see what customers think of it. Just in time for spring, the Minis will be perfect for lunchboxes and picnics, and are also a good snacking option for anyone who is counting their calories as each Mini contains only 45 calories."

Applewood Vegan Minis will be available to buy at Morrisons stores across the UK from 27 March.

Applewood Vegan is also available in Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado and Morrisons.

Applewood was the UK's first major cheese brand to launch a vegan cheese alternative when it hit the market back in October 2019. It proved to be so popular with vegans - and flexitarians - when it launched, that 40% of the Asda stores that stocked it sold out on the first day.

Its popularity was due to its meltability factor; it melts just as well as its dairy cheese counterparts. It is fortified with B12 and calcium, is coconut based, has Applewood's unique smoked flavouring and is free from dairy, lactose, soya, gluten and palm oil.

Applewood Vegan is made in an allergen-free factory thus negating the risk of cross contamination from dairy products.

It is approved by The Vegan Society.

Applewood Vegan has won 11 awards including the Gold award at the FreeFrom Food Awards 2020; Best Vegan Cheese in the 2019 Vegan Food UK Awards; and Best Vegan Cheese For Melting in the Vegan Cheese Co. 2019 Awards. Its most recent award is the Silver Award in the Dairy Free Cheese Alternative category at the International Cheese Awards 2022.

Applewood Vegan and Applewood are part of the Norseland portfolio of cheeses. The other cheeses include:

Jarlsberg® Deli Cheese with Holes

Mexicana® UK's No Spicy Cheese

Ilchester® a leading speciality British cheese brand

Ilchester® Vegan Melting Mature

Norseland is the UK's number one blended cheese supplier with its headquarters in Ilchester, Somerset.

https://www.norseland.co.uk

Here's a good news story for dog lovers! Duerr's & Sons Ltd Rebrands Dog Lovers Favourite 'Peamutt Butter' and Secures Morrison's Win

Duerr's & Sons Ltd has secured a new listing in Morrison's stores for its newly rebranded popular pet treat 'Peamutt Butter'.

The new-look packaging will hit Morrison's shelves across the UK for the first time this month under an introductory promotional offer during March.

Ranking as the UK's number One peanut butter for dogs, the supermarket listing follows 12 months of growth for the pet product, with sales of Peamutt Butter up 63% on the previous year.

Manchester-based Duerr's & Sons Ltd believe the sales increase is driven by listings in Tesco, Sainsbury's, The Range and Jollyes in 2022, plus being available online available with sites such as Amazon

Pets at Home, which has stocked the product for seven years, has seen a 25% rise over the last year. And independent pet food retailers have also seen an increase of 23%, proving that in the current economic climate consumers are still keen to spend on their fur family members.

The product rebrand is the first of its kind since Peamutt Butter was brought to market in 2016 and is supported by investment in a new website, PR outreach and social media marketing.

Duerr's, currently the biggest producer and distributor of peanut butter in UK, has introduced a new-look character 'Peamutt' on-pack to boost brand recognition on marketing channels and on the shelf.

Sales and marketing director and 5th generation Duerr's & Sons Ltd, Richard Duerr, said: “The original idea came from our family dog's love of peanutt butter. As the biggest producer of peanut butter in the UK, it seemed a shame our pets were missing out, so we created a prototype.

“Seven years on, we're rebranding to drive growth and secure new listings in the mults, like our recent win with Morrison's. We have a new 'Peamutt' as a character for the brand ensuring the product is more noticeable on shelf and becomes more familiar with consumers across multiple channels."

He went on to say: “Even in a cost of living crisis trends show pet parents are still looking to indulge their dogs. Peamutt Butter is a good value for money, a largely affordable, treat that shoppers can grab in the supermarket while doing their own weekly shop. The rebrand is aimed at keeping the product front of mind and ensuring we remain the go-to for peanut butter for dogs.”

Peamutt Butter is an affordable treat for your pampered pooches across the UK. Designed as a snack for four-legged friends, it is packed full of protein and contains heart-healthy fats, vitamin B, niacin and vitamin E.

This spreadable, smooth peanut butter is designed to be used on dog toys and lick matts, as well as a training treat. Tapping into the ever booming 'fur baby' trend it can also be used as ingredient for doggy home-baking. Peamutt Butter is available in 340g jars– RRP £2.50.

Duerr's & Sons Manchester, established in 1881, is a family business that's barking mad about dogs. Famed nationwide for its household jams and marmalades, Duerr's & Sons is the biggest producer of peanut butter in the UK. Peamutt Butter was crafted by this family of dog lovers to ensure everyone in the family can enjoy the joys of the nutty treat.

Filippo Berio's First Pasta Sauce Range Brings Effortless Italian Inspiration to your kitchen

There's some great news for keen cooks who want a bit of help in replicating authentic Italian dishes at home. 

Because Filippo Berio, the UK's favourite and best loved olive oil brand for well in excess of 40 years, has launched four delicious and authentic pasta sauces to to the UK market.

Filippo Berio has used the finest all-natural ingredients including (of course!) its very own Extra Virgin Olive Oil and naturally sweet Italian tomatoes to create four delicious recipes; Basilico, Arrabbiata, Verdure Grigliate and Olive.

The sauces are also gluten free and are suitable for both vegetarian and vegan diets. They are also lactose free and are totally free of preservatives, flavourings or artificial ingredients.

The new sauces are:

Basilico - Fragrant Italian Basil has been added to naturally sweet Italian tomatoes and carefully cooked to create this delicious tomato and basil pasta sauce.

Arrabbiata - with a touch of chilli spiciness, this pasta sauce is an Italian classic - delicious tomatoes with just the right amount of heat.

Olive - This unique sauce uses specially selected ripe olives for an added depth of flavour.

Verdure Grigliate - Packed with flavour and using grilled vegetables like aubergines, peppers and courgette – this sauce brings the taste of the Mediterranean to your kitchen.

Filippo Berio UKs MD, Walter Zanré, said: “When we make our pasta sauces we cook the vegetables before the tomatoes are added. Not at the same time. This two stage cooking method locks in all the flavour so our sauces taste fresh - just like with homemade.”

Available now and priced at £2.50 for a 340g glass jar, you can purchase the sauces from Tesco or via the Filippo Berio online shop.

Erdinger Forges Partnership With the Anfield Wrap for Next Phase of Consumer Campaign Featuring Jürgen Klopp

The deal with award-winning fan media organisation, The Anfield Wrap, sees ERDINGER Weissbräu as the lead partner of their new five-episode documentary series named 'JÜRGEN'.

JÜRGEN includes 35 feature-length, one on one interviews from across four different countries with The Anfield Wrap speaking to those who know the German manager best, including Steven Gerrard, Adam Lallana, Sir Kenny Dalglish and many others close to him. 

The first three episodes were released before Christmas in the domestic football void created by the World Cup, and a further two will be released in March.

Felix Durchdewald, Head of Sales & Marketing at ERDINGER Weissbräu said “Since Jürgen Klopp was announced as an ERDINGER ambassador in 2020, the association between the two has become firmly established. Many consumers have been engrossed in the campaign that has encouraged people to 'Never Skim an ERDINGER' and not to forget the 'Best Bit' and this has translated to robust sales in both on and off-trade.

“The campaign has highlighted ERDINGER Weissbräu's pursuit of quality, driven awareness of the ideal pour for a wheat beer and has contributed to ERDINGER being named #1 imported wheat beer in the UK off-trade” said Felix.

“With the playful instructions shared by Jürgen and his enthusiastic bartenders in the original adverts a team of new fans have taken the beer and its perfect pour, including swirling the bottle to collect all the yeast before pouring, to their hearts. A new pack format of 4x330ml bottles has been introduced into the UK with the original listing in Sainsburys now extended to selected Tesco stores from March 2023.

 This follows achieving #1 status in rate of sale in their respective off-trade categories for ERDINGER Weissbier and Alkoholfrei, with the former gaining most share in the speciality beer category.  

“The partnership with The Anfield Wrap is a perfect match that sees the two businesses align with Jürgen, with all three being driven by passion, determination and a desire for success. The level of perfection and passion that The Anfield Wrap has shown in producing this docuseries correlates very closely with how ERDINGER Weissbräu produces its beers.”

Craig Hannan, Head of Brand and Marketing at The Anfield Wrap, said: “This is The Anfield Wrap's most ambitious work yet and we were only ever interested in working with a partner that aligned with the project and our brand. ERDINGER Weissbräu ticks those boxes.

“From the strategy to the creative, everything within this project has been produced in-house at The Anfield Wrap. But having the support of ERDINGER Weissbräu helps scale up our plans and ideas and we are really excited about what we're about to achieve with them, both in the UK and across the world as there is a real synergy between both brands.”

ERDINGER branding features on all five episodes of the new documentary series and the brands will work together on brand marketing activity and collaborative events in England and Germany.

https://uk.erdinger.de.

For real Indian foods, You need the Spice Kitchen

My wife especially admires the Spice Kitchen as it reflects how she was brought up. Her father would travel 30 to 40 miles back in the day to obtain the traditional herbs and spices that he needed to cook his family's traditional Indian meals. 

He called them his tiffin tins, which he got filled in the parts of Wolverhampton and Birmingham which had a relatively high number of shops selling traditional Indian foods, spices, etc.

The fact that the Spice Kitchen spices and herbs come in a real Masala Dabba, wrapped in some nice sari fabric really thrills my wife.

When it arrived my wife said: "There'll be a really nice curry, tonight!" 

She took some vegan chicken style slices from our freezer, prepared a marinade for them and cooked them to perfection. 

The result was an absolutely delicious meal which my wife was proud to say she cooked, as the spices and herbs were the kinds she has in her spice racks. Which, if you knew my wife, you'd know was a pretty big deal.

The tin we enjoyed was the Indian Spice Tin. Other tins that are available are the Middle Eastern and African Spice Tin, World Spice Blends and Rubs, Moroccan Spice Tin, International Chilli Collection, Flavoured Sea Salts Collection, a Baby Spice Collection (for the younger members of your family) and a Gin Botanicals Collection. All costing from £30.00 a tin.

https://www.spicekitchenuk.com

Check out their website for some real traditional recipes.

Also, there's also good news! They have written their very own cook book, which will be published at £22.00 on May 25th. https://www.spicekitchenuk.com/products/spice-kitchen-cookbook

We would like to offer our sincere thanks to Sanjay & Shashi Aggarwal (Mamma and Baby Spice!) for their fantastic help in putting this feature together.

Coronation Cakes, Bakes and Cocktails from Bonne Maman

The coronation of His Majesty King Charles and Her Majesty The Queen Consort on 6th May heralds a royal Bank Holiday weekend of feasting and good cheer. 

Whether you are aiming to share fun and food with others at a Coronation Big Lunch or celebrating at home, here are some delicious coronation treats, perfect for all the family to enjoy making as well as eating, plus showstoppers to crown the occasion and wow the crowds!

The Coronation Cake

Triple-tiered, of course, for His Majesty, this is the simplest of recipes but the most delicious chocolate cake. Made with Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread it will satisfy even the most demanding chocoholics. Rich and moist with a creamy fudge frosting and then decorated with its very own white chocolate 'crown' jewelled with nuts and edible gold sparkles.  It's a crowd-pleasing, magnificent creation fit for a newly-crowned King!

Glittering Shortbread Crowns

These delectable vanilla or chocolate shortbread crown biscuits are sure to keep everyone in right royal spirits. An easy dough for little hands to roll and cut out. Use crown-shaped cutters, add some edible glitter magic and then sandwich with your favourite Bonne Maman conserve or Hazelnut Chocolate Spread for a truly celebratory coronation display.  

Picnic Dessert Jars

These beautiful individual servings are a great way to serve a delicious treat at an al fresco coronation party or picnic. First gather a few spare Bonne Maman jars to upcycle and then pack full of soft, red fruit flavours and a quick, dreamy cheesecake topping. Add a glittery gold shortbread crown biscuit for the final royal seal of approval.

Coronation Party Traybake

This sublime, flavourful carrot cake ticks all the right boxes for a celebratory tea.  Filled with what are understood to be some of His Majesty's favourite fruits and flavours, it's subtly spiced with a hint of ginger and Darjeeling tea plus fruity damson and cherry undertones with a cool, creamy contrasting topping. 

Hazelnut Chocolate Martini Royale

When it comes to The Royal Toast after dinner or at a celebration party, this is the perfect tipple. Espresso coffee mixed with Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, vodka and Drambuie for a royally luxurious Martini.  Simple to make and utterly delicious.

Hip hip hurray!

Asda plans a great Easter

Asda has revealed its egg-cellent deals across Easter Eggs, including the return of its unmissable Four for £10 mix and match offer on selected large Easter Eggs.

Available in stores and online now, until 9th April, the Four for £10 offer is ideal for families looking to stock up ahead of Easter weekend and means each Easter Egg will cost shoppers just £2.50 – a saving of £2.00 as each egg usually costs £3.00 each.

Highlights from the Four for £10 offer include:

Cadbury Twirl Orange Chocolate Easter Egg

Maltesers Teasers Milk Chocolate Large Easter Egg

M&M's Chocolate & Peanut Large Easter Egg

Thorntons Milk Chocolate Dinosaur Easter Egg

Galaxy Minstrels Milk Chocolate Large Easter Egg

Terry's Chocolate Orange Easter Egg & Mini Eggs.

Other offers from the supermarket retailer over the same period (until 9th April) include Two for £8 on giant eggs – a saving of £1 when shopping the deal - which includes favourites such as the Maltesers Chocolate Bunny Extra Large Easter Egg (£4.50), Cadbury White Chocolate Easter Egg (£4.50) and Kinder Surprise Disney Frozen Easter Egg (£4.50).

When shopping with the Asda Rewards app, customers picking up Asda’s Good Housekeeping award-winning Extra Special Extra Thick Honeycomb, Pretzel & Almond Milk Chocolate Easter Egg, Extra Special Raspberry & Marshmallow White Chocolate Easter Egg and Extra Special Peppermint & Cocoa Nib Dark Chocolate Easter Egg, priced at £7.00 each, will receive a 10% cash pot reward per egg.

For those looking for something more luxurious, £10 premium eggs like the Lindt Milk Chocolate Gold Bunny and Cadbury Giant Daim Inclusion Easter Egg will earn shoppers 10% back in their Asda Rewards cash pot until 22nd March. For those waiting until the end of the month to pick up their premium Eggs, they can earn £2 in their cash pots from 23rd March until 9th April.

Customers can also earn 25p in their cash pots when buying a £1.25 medium egg, like the Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons Chocolate Easter Egg – between now and 6th March.

Ramadan products on offer at Asda

This year, Asda is celebrating its biggest Ramadan yet with 150 new product lines, more great deals and an easier shopping experience than ever before across the store.

As the holy month approaches, Asda is making it easier for customers to find what they need with dedicated Ramadan aisles in 150 stores, a +47% increase from last year. 

These stores are in key areas across the country, such as Wembley, Leicester and Sheffield, with seasonal displays featuring an extensive range of trusted brands at affordable prices. Making it quick and easy for customers to get their kitchen Ramadan-ready in just one shop at Asda.

Whether you’re looking for Halal products, tinned ingredients, frozen food, baked goods, fresh fruit and vegetables or even cookware, look no further than the variety and breadth of choice on offer, at selected Asda stores and online. From store cupboard essentials like 10kg Elephant Atta flour for £7, 10kg Laila Basmati rice at £14.50 and 10kg Trophy Basmati rice at £13. Plus, KTC’s 400g tins of chopped tomatoes, plum tomatoes, chickpeas and kidney beans which are all available at 4 for £2. Great offers on other popular items include 1kg Lancashire Farm Natural Bio Yoghurt for £1.60, 5l KTC Sunflower Oil for £8.50 and 4pk x 1l Rubicon Mango Fruit Juice for just £5.

More products to add to your basket include ready-to-use Indus Sauces in many favours including, Kebab House, Burger Sauce and Tamarind (£1.75 each or 2 for £3) and Royal Desserts Ras Malai (£2.75) and Gulab Jamun (£2.50) for delicious sweet treats. Customers can also pick up the George Home non-stick aluminium stockpot (32cm on offer for £12 and 24cm on offer for £7 until 22nd April) for making heart-warming family meals, as well as generously sized Kitchen Queen storers (3 piece set on offer for £13 until 22nd April) for storing household essentials.

New to Asda this year, ensuring there's something for the entire family, include Ramadan Countdown Calendars with celebratory chocolate treats inside (£3 or 2 for £5) and The Desi Doll Company’s innovative, bi-lingual soft plush talking Muslim dolls (£30) that speak and sing in English and Arabic, providing a fun and unique way for young children to learn languages. There’s also around 18 lines of dates new to Asda (including multiple varieties, pastes and syrups) which are perfect for breaking the fast and gifting to friends and family.

Asda is proud to work with and support these brands and business owners, who have incredible stories. One of them is Farzana Rahman, who founded The Desi Doll Company in 2008 after noticing how the market lacked Islamic toys to teach children about religion and faith, in fun and interactive ways. Farzana says, “I left my banking career and designed Aamina and Yousuf. These are two interactive plush dolls that talk and sing when you press their hands, feet and nose! They teach children the basics of the Islamic faith in a fun and light-hearted way.”

Speaking about the listing in Asda, Farzana continues, “Having our toys in 150 stores across the UK means that our talking dolls can reach even more households. Asda customers now have the opportunity to discover our unique toys whilst doing their weekly shopping – how convenient is that!”

Paul Dudley, Director at Beacon Confectionary Ltd, believes it was important to introduce chocolate countdown calendars for Ramadan, after spotting a huge gap in the market and lack of variety available. Ramadan Countdown Calendars provide a highly engaging and interactive way to educate children on the significance of Ramadan.

Paul says, “this is the first year we have launched our products in Asda. By working with Asda, we are able to reach out to a wider audience, especially through its extensive Ramadan aisle.”

Sara International Ltd is also stocking its extensive range of Madina and Palestinian Medjoul dates for the first time in Asda. Founder, Osama Aziz, launched his business back in 1985, at a time when there was a lack of Arabic or/and Halal food widely available in the UK. On the importance of dates during Ramadan, Osama says, “on a personal level, I consider offering dates during Ramadan to Muslims, is a duty, and our success in doing so has given us great joy!”

Commenting on the listing in Asda, Osama says, “it’s a great chance to reach a wider group of Muslims and I believe it will help us offer top-quality dates at affordable prices.”

Noor Ali, Head of World Foods at Asda, comments: “I’m really excited to help our Asda customers perform Ramadan Fasting and celebrate Eid Festival, by making it as affordable and convenient as possible to fill their shopping baskets with everything they need, across multiple categories. I’m also really proud to work with small, family-owned businesses who have really unique offerings and are truly passionate about making Ramadan and Eid as special as it can be, for our Asda customers.”

The holy month of Ramadan is a time of spiritual cleansing, family bonding and charity, as well as a time of reflection and rejuvenation for Muslims around the world.

Whether you choose to shop in-store or online, Asda has everything you need this Ramadan and Eid under one roof.

Community Fridge pilot launched in Greenacres

The project was announced by Oldham Council Leader Amanda Chadderton and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and will aim to help fight local food insecurity.

A Community Fridge is a space that brings people together to eat, connect, learn new skills and reduce food waste. It is a site where local people can share food, this includes surplus from supermarkets, local food businesses, producers, households and gardens.

On Wednesday 1 March, Oldham Council Leader Amanda Chadderton and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham launched a Community Fridge at Greenacres Community Centre in Oldham.

The fridge will be run by community groups with the main purpose of saving fresh food from going to waste. This is now more important than ever with the current high costs of living and less food waste will be a benefit for the environment.

The journey for this Community Fridge Pilot began with the Co-op and the environmental charity Hubbub supporting the ‘In Our Nature’ programme which is a partnership between Manchester Climate Change Agency, Hubbub, Groundwork Greater Manchester, Amity, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research and Manchester City Council.

Following the success of the Community Fridges through the In Our Nature programme, Hubbub and the Co-op were asked if they could pilot and fund a cluster of Community Fridges in a Greater Manchester locality which would provide one in every 30-50,000 neighbourhood footprint. They agreed to undertake this pilot in Oldham as there was already a Community Fridge based at the Failsworth Co-op Academy.

This cluster pilot is a first and Hubbub, the Co-op and Action Together have worked collaboratively to identify suitable locations and host organisations in communities to ensure there is equal coverage across the district.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I congratulate Hubbub, Co-op and Action Together for launching their Community Fridge pilot in Oldham following a request by the Greater Manchester Food Security Action Network to pilot a cluster model in the city region. This initiative will involve working with the local community to tackle food insecurity and reduce food waste amidst the difficult times we’re in with the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis.

“Our recent Greater Manchester Residents Survey found that 8 in 10 people say their cost of living has increased over the past month and around 70,000 more households are experiencing food insecurity compared to last spring. People are clearly struggling and that’s why projects such as Community Fridges are so vital in providing a safety net for those who need it. It will also contribute to our ambitions towards carbon net zero by reducing avoidable food waste by making sure it goes to people. This community-led approach can help residents access healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate food in a dignified way whilst also helping the environment.

"I hope this pilot is a success and I look forward to seeing it rolled out across Greater Manchester.”

Oldham Council Leader, Amanda Chadderton, said: "With high costs of living continuing to impact everyone we need to urgently address the issue of food waste and food insecurity.

"In September of 2022, over a quarter of households (nationally) with children experienced food insecurity, that represents over four million children. We also know that shockingly, 27% of UK children are living in poverty, and in Oldham this figure at almost 40%.

"For young people, some of which the cost of living crisis has heavily impacted, food insecurity contributes to increased anxiety, poor mental health, poor social and emotional development, and a reduced level of achievement in school.

"That’s why I’m so pleased to see this scheme taking place as I know it will make a real difference to families and those who are struggling. One step at a time, ideas like this will help us work toward our goal of ending food insecurity and the inequalities it brings.

"Thank you to everyone involved in this project – you are making a real difference."

Matt Hood, MD at Co-op Food said: “We recognise our responsibility to make a genuine difference to the communities we serve and absolutely believe that everybody should have access to good food. We’re pleased to be working with our partners to grow the essential community fridge network to directly help people in Oldham come together to eat, connect, learn new skills and reduce food waste. It is a real and significant step for this community to ensure fairer access to food for all.”

“For all at Co-op, this feels like a real step in the right direction to ensure fairer access to food for all.”

Aoife Allen, Director, Hubbub said: “Today’s launch shows true community spirit and co-operation in action. We are proud that there are now over 450 brilliant community fridges across the UK, where anyone can meet their neighbours and take home good food that would otherwise go to waste. With support from Co-op and all our partners in Greater Manchester, we look forward to seeing the benefits that these community fridges will bring to Oldham.”

The Community Fridge Network is coordinated by Hubbub and it connects ‘fridges’ across the UK. Hubbub have partnered with Co-op to fund 500 fridges by the end of 2023. It is a support network for groups running community fridges to share knowledge and skills and to ask questions.

The Network offers free guidance on how communities can set up their own fridge and provides comprehensive support, design assets, a knowledge sharing forum, health and safety templates and discounted fridges and freezers.

More information about Community Fridges are available on the hubbub website: Community Fridge Network, https://www.hubbub.org.uk/the-community-fridge.

No and low alcohol brews are now UK’s fastest growing beer varieties

Growing UK demand for no and low alcohol beer is now so strong it's growing faster than any other beer type including some on trend craft varieties.

At Tesco demand for no and low beer has rocketed by nearly 40% in the last two years helped by the introduction of dedicated brands likes Lucky Saint, Athletic Brewing and Days 0%.

Notably, it’s not just the annual Dry January campaign that is inspiring healthier drinking, with Tesco recording its highest ever Christmas week demand for no and low beer as sales soared by 43 per cent on the previous year.

The supermarket also reports a new shopping pattern emerging with no and low beer drinkers switching to buying larger pack sizes rather than single cans or bottles, as a result of more confidence in the quality now available.

Tesco No and Low Beer buyer Sam Harrop said: “Interest in no and low alcohol beer is so strong dedicated brewers have emerged in recent years which has resulted in more choice for shoppers. 

“This has led to great improvements in quality with these specialist brewers inspiring far better ingredients and processes in order to create full-bodied no and low beers that taste authentic.

“The success of this market has shown us that growing numbers of drinkers seeking healthier brews are prepared to buy no and low alcohol beers as long as the quality is good.”

The Tesco sales data backs up findings in a 2022 No and Low Insight Report compiled by retail consumer research experts KAM in collaboration with category leader Lucky Saint.

The report* found that:

55 per cent of UK adults are planning on moderating their alcohol intake in 2023 

Awareness of the alcohol-free category is at an all-time high, with beer leading the way - up from 86 per cent in 2020 to 95 per cent in 2022

One in three pub visits are now alcohol-free 

Consumption of alcohol-free is being driven by ‘at-home’ occasions, with 37 per cent of UK adults drinking alcohol-free at home once a week or more 

54 per cent of consumers said they go to supermarkets to discover healthier new alcohol-free options 

Lucky Saint is one of the newer UK alcohol-free brands which has been instrumental in taking the category to the next level.

The brand says it is on a mission to elevate the drinking experience for alcohol-free drinkers, firstly with its lager, and now with the launch of their London pub, The Lucky Saint, championing alcohol-free drinks alongside alcoholic options.

Lucky Saint founder Luke Boase said: “Wanting to moderate your alcohol consumption has been a growing trend over the last five years, and 2023 is set to become the year moderation goes mainstream with over 50% of UK adults planning to cut down their consumption.

“Dry January was particularly exciting this year, with over nine million people taking part - it's a time when our category jumps forward, and the growth is sustained with millions of people continuing to drink No and Low throughout the year.

“Like us, Tesco is betting big on the No and Low category and it shares our view of what consumers are looking for - healthier options and great-tasting alcohol-free drinks that make moderating alcohol consumption easier, which is a great thing.”