Cask Ale Is Pub Lifeline
Confirmation that cask ale is a thriving product has come with the publication of The Cask Report – Britain’s National Drink.
The latest annual survey into the state of the cask ale market reveals serious grounds for optimism for cask ale brewers, as naturally-conditioned beer continues to bounce back from a very low ebb only a few years ago.
The cross-industry-funded Report’s headlines reveal some extremely positive statistics:
Pete Brown, the author of the Report, which was publicized by celebrity cask ale drinkers Melanie Sykes and Oz Clarke (pictured right), said: ‘Turnaround stories don’t get much better than cask beer’s. In a shrinking on-trade beer market, cask is the only category to show growth, albeit modest, of 1% in the first half of 2009.’
‘Its share of the on-trade beer market now stands at 13.5%, up from 11% in 2007. But what’s most important for Britain’s licensees is that there’s compelling evidence to show that cask beer can offer them a “lifeline” out of the recession.’
Powerful Weapon
With pub closures hitting an all-time high of 52 a week, cask ale has proved to be one of the most powerful weapons for keeping pubs open, the Report claims. Pubs with Cask Marque accreditation – a reliable indicator of well-kept, well-served cask beer – are shutting at around half the industry closure rate.
The Report has also identified a ‘cask value chain’. Good cask ale pubs attract more drinkers, it says, who visit the pub more often and spend more while they there.
Cask ale is viewed by many drinkers as an indicator of a pub’s overall standards. Keeping cask in good condition requires care and attention, so it is assumed that the licensee must also know what he or she is doing with other drinks, food and service.
The point is also made that, when a group of friends chooses a pub to visit, it’s usually the cask beer drinker among them who makes the decision. So, even though cask beer offers the publican lower margins than lager, it also offers a way to build pub traffic and turnover.
The Report also cites a string of survey statistics to stress that cask ale drinkers are more affluent, and therefore less affected by the ‘credit crunch’, than other beer drinkers, and that they have reached a stage in life where they can afford to visit the pub more often, spending more when they are there, including ordering more meals.
The conclusion is that serving great cask ale doesn’t just increase cask ale sales, it drives footfall and sales across the board.
Unique Opportunity
Last but not least, there’s the obvious (but often overlooked) reminder that cask ale can only really be enjoyed in the pub – unlike almost every other drink that tastes identical in or out of the home – underlining that licensees have a unique opportunity with cask ale.
Summing up the state of the cask market, Pete Brown said: ‘Higher-spending customers who drink more beer, go to pubs more often and spend more while they’re there, make cask beer a vital asset for struggling pubs.’
‘What hasn’t changed during the recession is that people are still seeking out quality, freshness, natural ingredients and local provenance in food and drink, and that’s why cask beer will continue to be the most successful sector of the beer market.’
‘Sure, it’s not right for every single pub, but for those that can keep and serve it well, and attract the right customers, cask beer can help to lift them out of the trading downturn.’
Copies of The Cask Report, written by Pete Brown, can be downloaded from: www.caskreport.co.uk.
The latest annual survey into the state of the cask ale market reveals serious grounds for optimism for cask ale brewers, as naturally-conditioned beer continues to bounce back from a very low ebb only a few years ago.
The cross-industry-funded Report’s headlines reveal some extremely positive statistics:
- Cask ale attracted 400,000 new drinkers in 2008
- The sector is showing volume growth in a declining overall beer market
- Cask ale has achieved distribution in 3,000 new pubs in the last year
- There are more breweries trading than at any time in the past 60 years
- Over the last year, the number of women who drink cask has more than doubled and now accounts for one in six of all cask beer drinkers
Pete Brown, the author of the Report, which was publicized by celebrity cask ale drinkers Melanie Sykes and Oz Clarke (pictured right), said: ‘Turnaround stories don’t get much better than cask beer’s. In a shrinking on-trade beer market, cask is the only category to show growth, albeit modest, of 1% in the first half of 2009.’‘Its share of the on-trade beer market now stands at 13.5%, up from 11% in 2007. But what’s most important for Britain’s licensees is that there’s compelling evidence to show that cask beer can offer them a “lifeline” out of the recession.’
Powerful Weapon
With pub closures hitting an all-time high of 52 a week, cask ale has proved to be one of the most powerful weapons for keeping pubs open, the Report claims. Pubs with Cask Marque accreditation – a reliable indicator of well-kept, well-served cask beer – are shutting at around half the industry closure rate.
The Report has also identified a ‘cask value chain’. Good cask ale pubs attract more drinkers, it says, who visit the pub more often and spend more while they there.
Cask ale is viewed by many drinkers as an indicator of a pub’s overall standards. Keeping cask in good condition requires care and attention, so it is assumed that the licensee must also know what he or she is doing with other drinks, food and service.
The point is also made that, when a group of friends chooses a pub to visit, it’s usually the cask beer drinker among them who makes the decision. So, even though cask beer offers the publican lower margins than lager, it also offers a way to build pub traffic and turnover.
The Report also cites a string of survey statistics to stress that cask ale drinkers are more affluent, and therefore less affected by the ‘credit crunch’, than other beer drinkers, and that they have reached a stage in life where they can afford to visit the pub more often, spending more when they are there, including ordering more meals.
The conclusion is that serving great cask ale doesn’t just increase cask ale sales, it drives footfall and sales across the board.
Unique Opportunity
Last but not least, there’s the obvious (but often overlooked) reminder that cask ale can only really be enjoyed in the pub – unlike almost every other drink that tastes identical in or out of the home – underlining that licensees have a unique opportunity with cask ale.
Summing up the state of the cask market, Pete Brown said: ‘Higher-spending customers who drink more beer, go to pubs more often and spend more while they’re there, make cask beer a vital asset for struggling pubs.’
‘What hasn’t changed during the recession is that people are still seeking out quality, freshness, natural ingredients and local provenance in food and drink, and that’s why cask beer will continue to be the most successful sector of the beer market.’
‘Sure, it’s not right for every single pub, but for those that can keep and serve it well, and attract the right customers, cask beer can help to lift them out of the trading downturn.’
Copies of The Cask Report, written by Pete Brown, can be downloaded from: www.caskreport.co.uk.
