English sparkling wine is set to oust French champagne in many restaurants, pubs and Christmas dinner tables following sterling’s decline, which has made it the same price as or cheaper than continental rivals.
The pub group Fuller’s has replaced its French house champagne, Collet, with English sparkling wine across its 500 UK pubs following a successful trial last year, and reports sales up by 50%. Its five English sparkling wines occupy the “house” slots at around £40 on its lists, with remaining champagnes kicking in at over £50.
The pound’s 13% fall against the euro since the EU referendum has evened out the price differences between English wines – now with more choice and higher quality than ever before – and imported alternatives such as prosecco, champagne and cava.
“This is an absolute game-changer,” said Fuller’s head of wine, Neil Bruce. “We are showcasing English wine in a way we have never done before. Our customers absolutely get the superb taste and quality and value for money.”
Meanwhile Tesco is forecasting that English sparkling wine will be the “surprise” on a record number of dinner tables this Christmas. The UK’s largest supermarket says that in the last year it has seen around a third of its champagne customers now buying English sparkling wine.
“The incredible success of prosecco over the last few years has opened the cellar door for other quality sparkling wines and this year early sales suggest English fizz will make it on to the Christmas table for the first time,” said Tesco’s champagne and sparkling wine buyer Rob Dixon.
Demand for brands such as Chapel Down Brut and rosé and Tesco Finest English sparkling wine made by Hush Heath Estate have grown by more than 60% across the UK market, according to the wine retail specialists CGA.
“The soaring popularity of English sparkling wine in recent years means it is now stocked in most major supermarkets,” said Jane Simmonds, partner at UHY Hacker Young, which analyses the sector.
“It’s also a regular fixture on the wine lists at top restaurants, which was unheard of not long ago. English brands are now competing with the best from around the world. The weaker pound since Brexit has undoubtedly provided a boost to the domestic industry as the price of imported proseccos, champagnes and cavas starts to bite.”
But while English sparkling wines soar in popularity, prosecco continues to be Britons’ favourite fizz at Tesco with demand up in the last year by 20% – easily outselling champagne. Tesco said it had seen strong growth in “super size” or larger formats of the Italian fizz.
Waitrose says it is now selling one bottle of English sparkling wine for every 10 of champagne. Elizabeth Newman, head of beers, wines and spirits at Sainsbury’s, said: “While champagne sales peak at this time of year, the alternative sparkling wine market is really booming. Prosecco continues to be an area of strong growth (our Taste the Difference variety is up 23% year on year) but its rise has also opened Britons’ eyes to the breadth of sparkling wines out there.”
