Drinks Buyer 2025

3 specialityfoodmagazine.com WELCOMETO DRINKSBUYER W elcome to the 2025 edition of Drinks Buyer , brought to you by the team behind Speciality Food . Just as the drinks industry is ever-evolving we have revamped this publication to be more useful and inspirational than ever before. We have grouped a wide range of exciting new products into trending categories, meaning that you can navigate your drinks strategy with ease, and shared vital intel from across the artisan drinks sector to set you on the path to success. We’ve also spoken to some of our favourite drinks brands in the industry today to find out how they are quenching consumers’ thirst with delicious new products that pack a sales punch. I hope you find it a refreshing read. HOLLY SHACKLETON | EDITOR CONTENT Editor Holly Shackleton, 01206 505110 holly.shackleton@artichokehq.com Content Creator Charlotte Smith-Jarvis, 01206 505981 charlotte.smith-jarvis@artichokehq.com Art Director Lee Whiteford lee.whiteford@artichokehq.com Published by ArtichokeMedia Ltd, Global House, Global Park, Moorside, Colchester Essex, CO1 2TJ COMMERCIAL Senior Account Manager Jessica Brett 01206 505901 jessica.brett@artichokehq.com Senior Account Manager Louise Barnes 01206 508629 louise.barnes@artichokehq.com Accounts artichokemedialtd@integral2.com Publisher Sam Reubin 01206 505936 sam.reubin@artichokehq.com FEATURES 4 Soft Drinks 10 Functional 14 Spirits 18 Flavours 20 Traditional PROFILES 6 Suma 7 James White 8 Lost Sheep 12Wildlife Botanicals 16Wavey Ice 17Wine That’s Fruit 22 Delamere Dairy 23 Fitch & Leedes ‘ 74% OF UK ADULTS ACTIVELY MODERATED THEIR ALCOHOL INTAKE IN 2024 , WITH 56% PLANNING TO REDUCE CONSUMPTION FURTHER. THIS SHIFT CREATES A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR VENUES TO DIVERSIFY THEIR NON-ALCOHOLIC OFFERINGS’ GREENE KING VALUE FOR VENUES REPORT GROWTH FACTORS IN THE UK ALCOHOLIC DRINKS MARKET ● Premiumisation and innovation – Premium alcoholic drinks account for around a third of sales, driven by craft beer, artisan spirits and bespoke cocktail experiences ● Wellness – Growing awareness of health has spurred demand for low and no-alcohol drinks; there’s been 15% year-on-year growth in the low-alcohol beer and spirits sector in 2023 ● A digital era – Online retail and direct-to-consumer sales have transformed the way consumers buy alcoholic beverages TRACEDATA RESEARCH £2.1 BILLION THE VALUE OF THE UK SOFT DRINKS MARKET English whisky is definitely a category to watch as a lot of newmake was laid into barrels during the gin boom, and will now have reached the three-year maturation period for first release as a whisky. As the liquid continues to mature, we expect to see more andmore special releases followed by aged statements LISA HALSTEAD, BUYER, MASTER OF MALT