UK cask ale sales back in growth

Cask ale volumes grew in 2011 for the first time in 20 years, recording a 1.6 percent uplift, says The Cask Report 2012-13, published at the end of September. Around 2.2 million barrels of cask, equating to some 633 million pints, were sold last year (according to the British Beer & Pub Association).

Over the same period, cask also overtook keg as the most popular format for draught ale, increased its penetration of the pub market to 56 percent (CGA figures), achieved a 53 percent ‘ever tried’ rate among UK adults and increased the frequency with which it is drunk by existing cask customers (all data about the cask ale consumer has been taken from a number of sources: CAMRA Omnibus; CGA research for Greene King; Cardinal research for Marstons).

Report author Pete Brown says, “The Cask Report has been analysing the sector for six years now and while cask has been outperforming the beer market for most of them, this is the first full year of actual growth. Sales growth during a recession is an impressive achievement, doubly so against a background of declining overall beer volumes and a shrinking number of pubs.

“This excellent performance speaks volumes for the increasing popularity of cask among consumers, as well as a growing realisation among licensees that cask, as an ‘only in pubs’ drink, can help them drive footfall and sales. Pubs that sell cask are less likely to close than non-cask stockists – as witness cask’s increasing share of the declining pub market.” (CGA)

This year’s Cask Report has been published at the start of Cask Ale Week (28 September -7 October). This celebration of cask ale – often called real ale – is focusing on ‘Try Before You Buy’, which was highlighted in the report as the single most effective way of introducing new drinkers to cask. Some 8,000 pubs offered free tasters during Cask Ale Week, which is also being supported by a national newspaper offer and an ‘introduce a friend to cask’ promotion.