BREWER Heineken said poor summer weather hit sales of beer and cider in the UK – despite the launch of premium versions of Foster’s and Bulmers.
The Dutch company, which also owns brands including Amstel, Kingfisher, Newcastle Brown Ale, Sol and Tiger, said beer volumes fell by a third during three months to September.
But the firm claimed the strong performance of its Foster’s and Heineken brands – backed by TV advertising campaigns and boosted by the launch of Foster’s Gold – enabled it to increase its share of a UK beer market that fell by 4.5% in the period.
Volumes of Strongbow cider also showed “low single digit declines” in the UK as it came up against competition from rivals.
