FDBusiness.com

Molson Coors Brewing Company has expanded its cider portfolio through the acquisition of Suffolk-based Aspall Cyder in the UK for an undisclosed amount. Founded in 1728 by Clement Chevallier and run by the eighth generation of his family, Aspall is an established premium brand of quality and provenance. The company’s high-quality portfolio strengthens Molson Coors’ position in a fast-growing market for premium cider in the UK. Aspall also produces leading specialty vinegars, including Aspall Organic Cyder vinegar, which is made using a fermentation process that is the only one of its kind in the world.

Aspall operates from a single site in the parish of Aspall, Suffolk, where the Chevallier family first planted the orchards at Aspall Hall. Members of the family will remain part of the business and will play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of Aspall.

Through its industry-leading expertise in marketing, distribution and logistics, Molson Coors is ideally positioned to grow the business in the UK and establish a leading presence for the Aspall brand in key markets around the world. Molson Coors will be investing in Aspall’s Suffolk operation, helping further the founding family’s ambition to redefine the cider category by giving more consumers the opportunity to taste and develop an appreciation for the genuinely premium nature of high-quality cider.

Volume of cyder sales at Aspall grew by 10% in 2016. The UK cider market is a substantial industry that is in value growth. The total cider market value grew by over 25% between 2010 and 2015 and is projected to continue that growth through until 2020 according to data from Nielsen. Aspall will operate as part of Molson Coors UK & Ireland, within the Molson Coors European business unit and will continue to press, ferment, keg and bottle at the Cyder House in Aspall, Suffolk.

In the UK & Ireland, Molson Coors has over 2,000 employees, who operate breweries in Burton upon Trent, Tadcaster, Burtonwood, Sharp’s brewery in Rock, Cornwall and Franciscan Well in Cork, Ireland. It has a market share of around 20% of the UK beer market and a portfolio that includes Carling, the UK’s best-selling beer for three decades, Coors Light, Cobra, Grolsch, Doom Bar, Worthington’s, Caffrey’s, Singha and a range of specialty beers.