Big brewer says bottle sales set to soar

A dramatic rise in demand for premium bottled beers will see sales increase to a value of £1 billion by 2020, according to major brewer Marston’s in its annual Premium Bottled Ales report. The group says sales in the premium sector are increasing by 7% year-on-year.

The increase in sales has taken even Marston’s by surprise – outstripping its predictions of a year ago. The PBA sector has attracted half a million new customers over the past year. Marston’s says the main driver of sales in the sector has been Hobgoblin, which grew by 20% over the past 12 months.

While Hobgoblin is a dark beer, the most popular bottled beer styles are gold and blond. Marston’s has achieved good sales with its New World Pale Ale and is about to launch a pale version of Hobgoblin --Hobgoblin Gold.

The Marston’s group, which includes Banks’s, Brakspear, Jennings and Wychwood, says innovation, with the introduction of new styles and new flavours, appeals to customers in the PBA sector.