Speciality Food September 2025

oft-seen sight around the UK in the summertime, there’s undoubtedly a thirst for more when the weather cools down thanks to their relatively low alcohol content and affinity with great food. “Aperitifs have really taken off in the UK because people are drinking more thoughtfully, and the spritz craze has played a big part. People want flavour and a bit of occasion without always reaching for heavy high proof spirits,” says Richard Tring, co-founder, The Aperitivo! Co. “The spritz opened the door and now people are going beyond Aperol and Campari to discover these classic European style drinks are versatile, food friendly and perfect as a first drink of the evening.” The aperitivo fan is a considered consumer. “Our customers are curious drinkers,” he says. “They want something that feels are seeing customers expecting quality as the key justifier of the price and this is something retailers will need to recalibrate and adjust to over time,” says Mariam. “There is also an opportunity here to mirror purchasing expectations around alcohol across low/no offerings. For instance, like their alcoholic counterparts, non alcoholic spirits should be available at a range of price points – as an example, our whiskies range between £24 for a blended whisky alternative to £40 for an Islay whisky alternative.” The appetite for aperitifs Brits have been inspired by the drinking habits of our European cousins – you only need to look at the recent boom in Aperol spritz culture to see there’s an appetite for these bittersweet beverages – and while the iconic orange drink is an continental and sophisticated but is still easy to serve. Many are cocktail fans who enjoy mixing Negronis or Manhattans at home but we also see casual shoppers looking for a lower alcohol alternative to their usual gin or whisky. They are drawn to authenticity, quality and products with a story.” Bringing new shoppers into the fold is a simple case of education, says Richard. “Simple recipe cards showing how to make a spritz, Negroni, festive punch, or highball help customers get how to use the product whichmatters because not everyone is familiar with the category yet,” he says. “The aperitif/aperitivo category is still young in the UK so it is an exciting opportunity for retailers. A small well chosen range with clear serving suggestions can turn casual browsers into repeat customers. Keep it simple, if someone canmake a great spritz or Negroni with just a couple of bottles they will come back for more.” specialityfoodmagazine.com 31 CHRISTMAS 2025 WILD LIFE BOTANICALS NUDE An award-winning refreshing, dry and s ophisticated non-alcoholic (0.5% ABV ) sparkling wine with an uplifting elixir o f vitamins, minerals and botanicals. wildlifebotanicals.co.uk LA BREWERY SPARKLING ENGLISH BLUSH KOMBUCHA A wonderful alcohol-free alternative fo r celebrations, bursting with notes of strawberry, rhubarb and hops. labrewery.co.uk BELVOIR MULLEDWINTER CORDIAL L ovely warm or cold, and even pour ed into a glass of fizz for a Christmass y touch. Made with real fruit juice an d cinnamon and nutmeg extracts. belvoirfarm.co.uk CRWST MULLED CIDER MIX A blend of spices ideal for conjurin g up a very tasty, warming mulled cid er. Made with all-natural ingredients . crwst.cymru ROSEMULLION DISTILLERY DARK RUM A 40% rum, fermented, distilled and a ged in Cornwall, with a gently spiced , botanical flavour, leading to deep molasses. A super smooth, easy drinking rum. rosemulliondistillery.com TWO FARMERS MEDIUMDRY CIDER A deliciously light and crisp cide r, bursting with apple flavours. twofarmerscider.co.uk ST PETER’S BREWERY CHRISTMAS ALE B rewed just once a year, this copper- c oloured beer is bursting with toffee, caramel and spice. shirefoodsofnorfolk.co.uk TIPTREE MERRY CHRISTMAS The essence of the season. Pieces of Tiptree handcrafted Christmas pudding are infused in small batch E nglish craft rum for a moreish flavou r. tiptree.com THE ENGLISH DISTILLERY THE NORFOLK NOG M ade with English Single Malt Whisk y and lashings of cream, The Norfolk Nog is delicately flavoured yet decadently rich. theenglishwhisky.co.uk DORSET GINGER SPICED GINGER PUNCH An intriguing and delightfully spiced ginger punch that can be served c hilled or warmed up as an alternative to mulled wine. dorsetginger.ltd a specialist fine food shop. They are not looking for something they can buy in the local supermarket but at a higher price because the local shop doesn’t have the buying power of a supermarket. They are looking for something that says this is going to be better than the product you normally buy. Make sure that as a retailer you provide sufficient information to help them understand and appreciate that their expectations will be met. Talk provenance, talk ingredients, talk quality. At the end of the day most people can’t afford to buy a hand-built bespoke car or designer fashion, but in the world of food and drink, speciality food and drink shops are the boutiques where something really special is actually affordable (to most) and we should promote ourselves as that. Christmas is a time when various producers bring out specific products more targeted and focused on Christmas which is a time where the early nights and open fires create a vibe associated with rich, indulgent liqueurs. We tend to have a wider variety of items like Norfolk Nog, or Bramble and from The EnglishWhisky Company also darker beers, like stout and darker ales. We try and organise tasting sessions where producers will offer their products for tastings and customer can sample the products. As a business with an online presence we will create hampers based around various product sets and this might include wines, beers, spirits and liqueurs. I feel that every business will be different. Farm shops are generally far luckier than high street delis in that they have more space. They have the space for people to come and park; they have the space for people to set up tasting stations. Have somebody available who can talk about the drink and offer suggestions on how it can be used. If the drinks are better served with ice then have ice available; if you would normally add a tonic with a gin then have the tonic available – don’t offer something to a customer in a way that is alien to how they would consume it. Make the experience as close as it would be if they were to drink it at home. Christmas which is a time where the early nights and open fires create a vibe associated with rich, indulgent liqueurs WHO BUYS WHAT? Age plays a part in shaping shoppers’ preferences says Lauren Denyer, WSET School London educator Younger consumers, such as Generation Z, and many millennials are showing a growing concern over their health and tend to drink less and consume drinks with less sugar. The premium no and low-alcohol beers are popular among these generations. Older drinking generations are more likely to continue consuming more than the younger generations and tend to stick to the classics, such as classic wine regions and grape varieties and more red wine (which is in global decline) around Christmas. There’s growing curiosity among younger drinks consumers, especially in cities, with many seeking out more esoteric styles of wines. Fresh, organic options like natural wines, Pet Nats and orange are proving particularly popular.