Nikolay Mladenov, CEO of one of Bulgaria's largest beer production companies - Zagorka, stated that Bulgaria has been chosen as a regional Balkan center of Heineken in the sector of cider production.

The brand Strongbow has already been introduced on the local market, while the project with a EUR 2 M investment involves a new distillation and bottling facility.

In an interview for Kapital daily, he revealed the most up-to-date market trends and development prognoses.

In the words of Mladenov, the company will be aiming at becoming a leader in Central and Eastern Europe. Currently, the share of cider on the Bulgarian market is stated to be below 1%.

''We are pioneers,'' he noted, saying that the new focus of Zagorka will be on specialty products.''Beer has a lot of varieties and we would like to show them.''

Meanwhile, the Bulgarian beer market has been showing levels of popularity rivaling those of other EU countries with average consumption per capita of 71 l in 2014. However, the number has marked a slight decrease from the registered 74 liters per person in annual consumption in 2013.

In the words of Mladenov, one of the causes is the bad weather and fewer sunny days over the past year. He explained that a direct correlation exists between weather conditions and beer consumption on a global scale.

''Lager beer will remain a favorite and we shouldn't feel inferior as a nation because of that,'' he added. ''This is the situation around the world as well.''

Mladenov stated that only through constant innovation and investment in new refined products can keep the beer industry current and attractive.

He further prognozed a stable year in terms of beer consumption in Bulgaria and reaffirmed the aim of the company for increasing the overall share of cider on the local beer market. 

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