UK: Lager accounts for 75% of total beer sales

Craft and cask beer may get all the headlines but lager remains the most important style in the UK, accounting for almost three quarters of sales, inapub reported on February 22.

75 per cent of beer sales in the UK are lager, Mintel analysts said.

The market has plateaued in recent years but Mintel expect this to give way to "modest growth" over the next few years, with sales reaching £13.1 billion by 2020.

Tapping into the lucrative "with food" market would help lager's fortunes further, with 30 per cent of beer drinkers already typically drinking beer, rather than wine, with food.

Changing glassware may also generate growth, with women showing a clear preference for smaller serves and Chalice-shaped glassware, according to Mintel research.

Classic pint glasses remain popular with other drinkers however, 27 per cent of on-trade beer drinkers saying they prefer a nonic glass and 16 per cent a tulip glass.

The category continues to benefit from housing some of the biggest retail brands in the UK, with Stella Artois, Foster's, Carlsberg, Budweiser and Carling making up the top five.

AB InBev's purchase of SAB Miller last year (2016) has led to further consolidation of the market and analysts suggest this could lead to a fresh wave of acquisitions and disposals.