Online retailer Crafty Nectar has launched what it claims is the UK’s first dedicated nationwide craft cider wholesaler.
The cider specialist, which raised almost £150k through crowdfunding last year, said it wanted to combat current issues that were preventing independent cider brands getting to market, such as high minimum orders from traditional wholesalers, small ranges and craft cider makers’ limited resources.
“Crafty Nectar Trade has just a two-case minimum order, so clients can easily experiment with new products and increase the variety of products they sell,” founder Ed Calbert told The Grocer. “Because we don’t hold stock in a warehouse and use a dropship method, it allows us to have a potentially limitless range of cider products.”
Crafty Nectar would also allow suppliers more control over the price their cider is sold at, he added. “We act almost as a broker for each side. In general, when you step away from wholesalers and work directly with suppliers, this is when the best deals are achieved.
“Likewise, allowing the cider makers to set their own prices means they are not being beaten down on price by a large wholesaler, which means the margins they achieve are better.”
The cider category’s biggest challenge was public perception, he said. “There is a vision that cider is basically apple beer. Artisan cider is much closer to a fine wine than a beer. So one of the key elements of our business will be to educate consumers about the differences between ‘big cider’ and craft cider.”
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