Spirits sector grows 5.3% with strong value growth across on-trade: The spirits sector has grown 5.3% year-on-year with strong value growth across the on-trade, according to the latest insights from global distillers William Grant & Sons UK. Spirits is the second-largest sector in both the on and off-trade, worth £10.5bn. Total premium spirits are now worth more than £1.4bn, up 15.8% and accounting for 12% of all spirits value sales. Premiumisation remains a key driver for the spirits market, with premium brands accounting for £239m of incremental value compared with last year. The on-trade is driving the majority of the spirits sector’s actual value sales growth. In the on-trade, the spirits market is now worth £6.3bn, up 4.9%, driven by premium spirits and consumers trading up. Sales growth is being driven in actual terms by gin (up £181.9m), spiced or flavoured rum (£46.8m), non-cream liqueurs (£34.1m), and American whiskey (£17.2m). There are more than 121,500 outlets in the on-trade, with 113,400 featuring spirits, down 1.6% year-on-year, according to the report. Meanwhile, the off-trade is growing at a faster pace year-on-year, the report stated. More than 65% of spirits growth is being driven by gin, although flavoured spiced rum, non-cream liqueurs and American whiskey are growing strongly. In the off-trade, the beer, wine and spirits (BWS) market has grown almost £618m in the past year, with spirits accounting for almost 40% of growth. The spirits sector is worth £4.2bn, with value sales continuing to grow, up 6.0%. The spirits sector accounts for more than a quarter of BWS value sales, making it the second-largest category, adding £239m in incremental value sales in the past year. Neil Barker, managing director of William Grant & Sons UK and Ireland, said: “Our market report provides a deep understanding of today’s shifting consumer attitudes, which are more fundamental than ever before to drive brand relevance.”