News: March 2010

New figures released for the start of Cask Ale Week (29 March–5 April) by The Cask Report – Britain’s National Drink, an industry-funded analysis of the trade, reveal that cask ale in the UK has enjoyed its first full year of growth since 1982.

The increase is only small (0.04%), but comes against a backdrop of a beer sector declining overall by 5%.

The figures also support claims that cask ale pubs are performing better than pubs that do not stock cask ale, with Cask Marque-accredited pubs closing at a rate that is only around half of the industry average.