Pear cider is to become the new battleground for two of Britain’s biggest drinks brands.

Just days after AB InBev announced it was launching a pear version of Stella Artois Cidre, The Grocer can exclusively reveal that Strongbow is to enter the same market.

Strongbow owner Heineken refused to comment, although the launch is expected to be announced next month.

Stella Artois Cidre Pear has “a crisp, sophisticated and refreshing taste”. It will be sold in individual 568ml bottles and six-bottle cases across retail.

Its launch has been welcomed by some of the UK’s leading cidermakers, who said it could “breathe life” into pear ciders and perries.

Pear cider was under-represented in the UK but Cidre had the potential to unlock further growth, said Westons head of marketing Ian Lewis. “Consumers are still not as sure about pear as they are about apple” he said. “Cidre brought a lot of new consumers into the category, so if they can do the same job on pear, it will stimulate interest in the category.”

Aspall also welcomed investment in the category. “If pear cider broadens consumers’ experience and breathes further life into traditional perries, I’m all for it,” said partner Henry Chevallier Guild.

AB Inbev’s success in attracting lager drinkers to Cidre had limited the harm inflicted on Magners last year, but its Cidre Pear went head to head with C&C’s offering, said Mintel global drinks analyst Jonny Forsyth.”It is a threat to Magners Pear Cider in particular,” he warned. “I expect it to do very well and not necessarily cannibalise its own sales as the sweeter flavour attracts a different type of user.”

Magners said it welcomed anything that would benefit the market and bring more consumers to the category.

AB InBev, meanwhile, said it had taken steps to prevent the supply issues that affected the original Cidre launch - when it came close to running out of the Jonagold apples due to “demand surpassing all our expectations”.

Off-trade pear cider sales have grown 5% YOY to £77m [Nielsen 52 w/e 24 December 2011].

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