Stout has outpaced all other segments in the LAD category in 2025, with stellar year-on-year sales growth of 10.6%. Stout now has a 9.5% share of all beer volumes—0.6 percentage points more than in the previous 12 months. Distribution has steadily risen too, and it is stocked in 70,775 pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants and other licensed premises in Britain.
It’s a similar picture in the Republic of Ireland, where the number of beer drinkers choosing stout has soared by 12 percentage points to 40%. Sales by value have risen 13.6%—even faster than in Britain. In Northern Ireland, sales are up nearly as much at 11.6%.
With more growth set to follow over the rest of 2025 and beyond, now is the time for stout suppliers to fine-tune outlet, ranging and promotional strategies on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Here is CGA by NIQ’s expert analysis of the market’s biggest opportunities and trends to watch in the British On Premise:
Channels
Nearly a third (31.7%) of stout sales are generated by food pubs—a sharp year-on-year rise of 2.7 percentage points. By contrast, community and high street pubs have lost 0.8 and 1.7 percentage points of share respectively—though sales are still rising in these channels too. Sports and social clubs, a mainstay of stout sales, lost 0.7 percentage points, but they still attract a 10.6% share.
Occasions
Stout is now a top choice for all occasions. Relaxed and quiet drinks have been one of the boom areas, with 58% of stout drinkers typically choosing it here—a 13 percentage point leap year-on-year. Stout also thrives on sporting occasions, and there was growth of 15 percentage points for these. Stout has also become a much bigger part of after-work drinks, formal meals and high tempo drinks.
Demographics
The demographics of stout drinkers are changing dramatically. In Britain, a third (32%) of them are aged 34 or under—10 percentage points up year-on-year. The proportion of female drinkers has risen too, by 2 percentage points to 24%.
Regions
London generates 22.1% of stout sales—0.4 percentage points more than in the previous 12 months. The South and South East regions have also seen impressive growth, climbing 0.5 percentage points to 11.8%.
Range
Stout stockists currently hold an average of 1.1 draught brands on the bar as well as 1.2 packaged brands—a clear indication of the category’s dominance by a single brand. These figures are rising only slowly, and just 8% of venues stock two or more stout brands. However, a limited range means some venues could be missing out on extra sales—especially as data shows how adding extra brands immediately raises RoS. New and distinctive stouts are streaming into the market, with 15 new brands arriving in the last 12 months alone. Embracing some of these can help pubs and bars to increase their appeal to drinkers.
Seasonality
Stout has long been associated with colder months of the year, but it’s a year-round choice now. A quarter (25%) of its drinkers say they are most likely to buy it winter, which is well ahead of Spring (13%) and Summer (14%). But with 57% choosing stout through all seasons, it has a broader appeal than some might think.
Discovery
What leads consumers to choose stout? The quality of the drink, value for money and the reputation of the brand are the top three factors. However, with 16% of drinkers actively seeking new and interesting brands, and the same number basing choices on recommendations, there is a clear curiosity for discovery, especially when prompted by social influence. On top of that there’s potential to recruit drinkers from other categories, as 74% of beer drinkers are open to trying new styles.
Lucrezia Morris, CGA by NIQ’s insight director, said: “From demographics to occasions to channels, stout is in the middle of a transformation. Traditional impressions of the category have become outdated, and new sales opportunities are emerging at speed. To grasp them, suppliers and venues need to look beyond stout’s previous boundaries and appeal to drinkers’ willingness to try new things. Familiarity and trust are still very important, but innovation and brand exploration are going to be major factors as more and more consumers discover stout. Businesses that invest in a deep understanding of the new stout landscape are going to have an important head start in the race for growth in this dynamic part of the On Premise.”
CGA by NIQ’s suite of sales measurement and consumer research solutions provide an unrivalled and holistic view of stout and all other LAD categories in the On Premise across Britain and Ireland, helping suppliers optimise their strategies by channel, segment, region and more. To discuss opportunities for expert analysis, contact the CGA by NIQ team.
