Isolabella is number-one limoncello in UK on-trade
According to CGA by NIQ data, Disaronno International UK (DIUK) was the fastest-growing supplier by value in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, with Isolabella topping the limoncello charts.
Over the period, the company’s portfolio grew by 5%, compared with the rest of the spirits market, which was flat.
The news follows CGA data from July that revealed DIUK was the only top 20 spirits supplier in growth in the UK on-trade.
Country director Marc Richardson attributes the performance primarily to the company’s investment in its on-trade team and the strength of its portfolio. “We’ve built a really strong team in terms of experience and number of people,” he says.
The UK on-trade team now comprises 19 people, significantly larger than a year ago. “We’ve invested more money in terms of heads, but also in the skill of the team,” he adds. “We’ve hired experienced people in the industry.”
It’s no secret that the UK hospitality industry has had its struggles in the past few years, but the sector remains a huge priority for DIUK. Richardson is sticking with the belief that spirits brands are best built in the on-trade before moving into retail.
“There are different ways of building a brand and some brands have done it differently, but we still believe strongly that the on-trade is the way to do it,” he says. “We want more people out in the on-trade drinking our brands, drinking our serves. It’s a crucial part of building any brand in the UK.”
‘Limoncello is one of our stars’
That strategy has worked wonders for Isolabella, the company’s limoncello brand. “Limoncello is one of our stars right now,” says Richardson. “The category has been around for a long time, with not a lot of activity happening over the years. You’ll see Isolabella in supermarkets and convenience stores soon.”
DIUK brought Isolabella to the UK on-trade just over a year ago, and it has since become the number-one limoncello in the sector by both value and volume. It holds around 35% market share, ahead of competitors Luxardo and Tosolini. Listings in Greene King, Wetherspoons and Mitchells & Butlers, three of the biggest national on-trade chains, have been key to the brand’s success.
Richardson believes Isolabella’s growth is due to consumers wanting “to try something different”. “If you look at the Spritz serves that have been there a long time, with great success, this is a different approach,” he says. “It’s a sweeter version – not too sweet or too sickly – but a sweeter style of Spritz.”
But Isolabella is just one part of a very strong portfolio. Disaronno Originale amaretto remains DIUK’s biggest brand – and the number one non-cream liqueur in the UK on-trade – and continues to grow despite wider category declines. Over a 52-week period, the brand recorded 2% growth while the wider spirits category declined by 5%.
Another driver of success is the company’s strong focus on bartender advocacy, says Richardson. Recent examples include the Pitch It Program, which will culminate at the Edinburgh Bar Show next month. “We’ve got a team of brand ambassadors, and they are super connected within the industry,” he explains. “They brought their own advocacy programme to the market: the 1525 Bar Society. It’s something we really value.
“It’s super important to have these people in. They’re the industry experts. They know all the serves, the drinks, the styles of serve. They’re really important.”
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