Cork stout Murphys continues to surge in UK market with double digit growth
Brewing giant Heineken released its 2025 first half results on Monday, with revenues down 5% to €16.9bn for the year after reporting a 0.4% fall in volumes globally during the second quarter.
But Cork stout brand Murphy's continues to shine for Heineken. "Distribution gains and new draught placement in the on-trade supported the strong growth of Murphy's Stout," the company said. The UK is the world's largest market for stout, worth more than €1bn.
Murphys has enjoyed massive growth in the past 18 months, buoyed further by the international success of rival Guinness pushing increased stout sales. Sales of Murphy's rose by 176% overall in the UK's on-licence trade in 2024.
Heineken even launched a new 'Map O'Murphy's' last year, outlining all the places in the UK selling the Cork beverage.
Overall, Heineken saw a decline in beer volumes. A dispute with retailers in key European markets like France, Spain, and the Netherlands affected sales despite a summer heatwave and the brewer reported a 0.4% fall in volumes during the second quarter. The disputes are now resolved.
Chief executive Dolf van den Brink also welcomed the trade deal agreed between the US and the EU, though Heineken's European produce will still face a 15% tariff entering the US market.
Mr van den Brink also said the company is looking to increase cost savings to €500m. "In the first half of 2025, we are ahead of our target by delivering more than €300m of gross savings across variable and fixed expenses. We therefore are increasing our ambition for 2025 to €500 million of gross savings. All regions thus far have contributed in a significant way," he said.
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