Discount supermarket Lidl is adding trendy beer-lovers to its growing list of middle-class targets with the launch of a range of regional craft ales.
The German-owned chain — which has branches in core London hipster locations such as Hackney, Camden and Kentish Town — will start stocking a new range of more than 60 mainly British-made bottled bitters, stouts, porters, IPAs and ciders this month.
The move, from a retailer once more closely associated with four-packs of cheap lager, is being promoted by Blur bassist-turned-organic farmer and brewer Alex James in the brand's first major celebrity tie-in.
It comes a year after Lidl’s “claret offensive” when it launched a range of cut-price French wines that helped to boost sales by almost 40 per cent in a shameless bid to lure the reluctant Waitrose and Sainsbury’s classes into its stores.
The new “ale assault” includes 48 regional beers from some of Britain’s most obscure local breweries, sought out over two years by Lidl buyers.
The range includes a vanilla porter called Funnel Blower from Trowbridge, a whisky-infused Innis & Gunn Original ale from Scotland and west London-brewed bitter Portobello Star.
The new beers will be available from June 22 with a second wave due in September. The bottles — most of them 500ml — will be individually priced at between £1.17 and £1.69 with the majority at £1.49, according to senior buying manager Ben Hulme.
This compares with a typical £1.75 to £1.99 per bottle at the “big four” supermarkets or multi-buy deals of four for £5 or £6.
Lidl bosses admitted the launch was another blatant tilt at more affluent shoppers. Mr Hulme said: “If you were a dedicated ale drinker who hasn’t shopped with us before we hope that you might shop with us now.”
He added that Alex James had been hired because “he’s a rock star, he’s pretty cool, we think we’re pretty cool too and in terms of the demographic we’re appealing to, he’s spot on.”
Britain’s so-called “premium ale” sector has exploded in recent years with about 1,500 breweries and sales close to £500 million.
Alex James said: “Nowadays there are so many beer aficionados and great local breweries around the UK so it is tremendous to see a supermarket like Lidl supporting them.”