The alcohol-free and low-alcohol beer market is booming in the UK, with 2025 marking a record year for sales.
According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), sales of non-alcoholic beer reached 200 million pints last year and now accounts for nearly 3% of the total market for beer.
The driving force behind this recent surge comes down to modern brewing techniques, which have improved the taste of alcohol-free drinks. Plus, the market is now driven by Gen Z and Gen X, who are choosing not to drink alcohol in order to lead healthier lifestyles.
Now, non-alcoholic beers like Heineken 0.0 and Guinness 0.0 are becoming just as favoured as their alcoholic counterparts.
Leading lorry tension curtain manufacturer, Structure-flex, say the growing popularity of alcohol-free beer is creating new opportunities for breweries.
“As the market grows, more breweries are bringing out their own non-alcoholic options to keep up with demand. One simple way to promote these new drinks is on the road – and we’ve already seen breweries rebranding their delivery fleets to showcase their new alcohol-free ranges” says Paul Reeve, Managing Director of Structure-flex.
Norfolk-based Structure-flex manufacture and print lorry tension curtains which are commonly used by breweries as a mobile advertising method.
The business has previously worked with major beer brands such as Heineken, Stella Artois and Hobgoblin to produce branded curtains for their delivery fleets.
Now that 85% of UK pubs offer low- or no-alcohol beer options (according to food producer, Aviko) Structure-flex believe it’s more important than ever that breweries promote their alcohol-free alternatives on the road.
“Delivery lorries are seen across towns and cities every day, so they’re a great way to advertise a new product! Our curtains are manufactured from durable thermoplastic materials and printed in-house using large-format digital printers. This means they’re strong, colourful and sure to stand out wherever they travel” says Paul.
Established over 50 years ago, Structure-flex specialise in manufacturing products from flexible thermoplastics using high-frequency welding.
As well as being the UK’s leading supplier of lorry tension curtains, Structure-flex also manufacture a wide range of products including load test bags, bulk packaging bags, flood defence systems and more.
While the alcohol-free market is still relatively small, it is expected to grow continually over the next few years as consumer preferences shift and brewery methods evolve.
“We’re already working with a number of companies to help spruce up their branding across their delivery fleets. As more breweries develop their alcohol-free offerings, it will be interesting to see how these brands choose to present themselves too” concludes Paul.
