The rise of faux Spanish lager brand Madrí Excepcional is denting Carlsberg’s sales in the UK, the boss of the Danish brewer has said.
Jacob Aarup-Andersen, chief executive of Carlsberg, said its beers were losing their market share in Britain amid soaring sales of Madrí, which is brewed by rival company Molson Coors. Madrí, which was launched in British pubs in 2020, has become one of the UK’s biggest beer brands, with annual sales of £93.3m in 2023, according to data experts NIQ.
However, the beer has been criticised for marketing itself as “the soul of Madrid” despite being brewed in Yorkshire by Molson Coors.
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Mr Aarup-Andersen said: “We’re seeing continued high competition in world beers. It’s a fierce battleground in the UK. We have some good propositions there, but we’re also seeing a number of our competitors pushing very hard.
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“There’s no doubt that one of the brands that is doing well in the UK is Madrí.”
Carlsberg posted a 3.9pc rise in sales to 38.8bn Danish kroner (£4.5bn) over the first half of 2024 and upgraded its profit forecasts, but warned of weakening demand over the summer. Molson Coors declined to comment.
In other beer and pub news, a hugely popular chain of bars has closed 11 branches with immediate effect, while another 25 will be chopped before the end of the year.
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Revolution bars have been a high street mainstay for decades, offering relatively cheap booze to students wrapped up in a slightly classier joint than usual. However, having bit hard by the cost-of-living crisis, pandemic backlash and more, parent company Revolution Bars Group has confirmed that yesterday was the last day in business for 11 venues – with another 25 to close before the year ends.
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