Exploring Britain’s Highest-Selling Beer Brands

If you love beer, then you’ve come to the right place. We’re about to explore the top 10 most popular beer brands in Britain. From estimated units consumed to awards won, read on to find out which beers are most beloved across the pond.

There are a few things we Brits are renowned for the world over. Firstly, everyone thinks that we’re obsessed with the Royal Family. Secondly, for some reason, everyone thinks we have awful teeth.

While those two points may be a little wide of the mark, one assumption that is 100% correct is that we’re in love with beer. It’s the nation’s beverage of choice on pretty much every occasion. Well, unless we’re having a nice cup of tea, that is!

Whether you’re at the pub, out in the countryside, or indoors using your phone or laptop to explore poker games online, there’s never a bad time for a cold one. And there are plenty of options available for us to drink as well! Let’s take a look at the most popular beer brands in the U.K.

Carling

Let’s start with Carling – Britain’s number-one-selling lager brand and a major player in the U.K. beer market. It was first brewed by Thomas Carling in Ontario, Canada in 1840 before being introduced to Britain in the 1970s.

Despite the pub scene in England changing somewhat in recent times, an estimated 470 million units of Carling are still consumed every year and with revenue of £256 million, it’s no surprise that Carling is at the top of our list. Plus, it was awarded Supreme Champion Beer of Britain at the 2015 International Brewing Awards!

Fosters

Coming in second is Fosters, a pale lager from Australia, which has been brewed since 1888. It was first imported into the U.K. back in 1971 and since then its popularity has flourished. An estimated 248 million units are consumed annually, and it brings in around £175 million worth of revenue each year – not bad for a beer that started off at an Australian brewpub!

Stella Artois

We can’t forget about Stella Artois – another international pale lager but this time from Leuven, Belgium. Established in 1366, this beer is steeped in centuries of history but still manages to remain relevant today. Stella Artois isn’t just popular with drinkers – it won Silver at The International Brewing Awards 2016 and Gold at The World Beer Championships 2019! According to figures released by Heineken (who own Stella Artois), they sell an estimated 86 million liters of Stella each year – that’s over 230 million units!

Heineken

Next up is Heineken – a pilsner from Amsterdam that has been brewed since 1873. It was first introduced into the British market way back in 1933 and has remained one of our most beloved beers ever since. Heineken Lager currently enjoys sales figures of around £93 million per annum and holds a prestigious Silver Award from The International Brewing Awards. 

Kronenbourg

Completing our top five is Kronenbourg 1664 – France’s oldest brewery founded by Master Brewer Geronimus Hatt back in 1664! This premium lager is as popular as ever with over 43 million liters sold per year across Europe – that’s over 115 million units! Plus, Kronenbourg 1664 won Gold at The International Brewing Awards 2017.

Skol

Skol Super Strength makes sixth place on our list – an extra-strong version of Skol Lager brewed by Molson Coors Beverage Company since 1964. This beer packs quite a punch with 6% ABV, and it manages to bring home revenue of around £50 million per annum.

John Smith’s

Seventh place goes to John Smith’s Extra Smooth, which was first launched way back in 1928 by Tadcaster Brewery (founded 1758). This smooth, low-ABV beer managed to pull down £44m last year.

Grolsch

Grolsch takes eighth place on our list – a Dutch pilsner originating way back in 1615 when Willem Neerfeldt established his brewery near Groenlo, Netherlands. Grolsch is 5% ABV pilsner that manages annual sales figures totaling around £41m.

Staropramen

Taking ninth place we have Staropramen Premium Czech Lager – first produced by Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar brewery (founded in 1869) and now owned by Asahi Group Holdings Ltd since 2012. The company produces around 80m litres per annum amounting to nearly 218m units sold.

Becks

Finally completing our top ten is Becks Vier Premium German Pilsner – another offering from Asahi Group Holdings Ltd who produce around 39m liters every year of this popular brand.      

So, there you have it – Britain’s ten most popular beer brands according to estimated units consumed and revenue earned. Many of these beers have also won accolades due to their high quality as well. Of course, this list could easily change over the next few years, with the recent influx of Italian and Spanish beers onto the market such as Moretti, Peroni and Madri. So, keep your eyes peeled for when this list is updated next.