UK: Cask ale continues to outperform UK’s falling beer market

Cask ale has continued to outperform the UK beer market and now has a 15% share (up from 14.6%) - equating to one in every six pints, Camra Omnibus Survey said in its Cask Report 2011-12.

The Cask Report 2011-12 has identified cask's growing appeal to a new audience of younger, affluent and sociable drinkers as a "lifeline" for pubs struggling to stay afloat.

The report found that cask drinkers were twice as likely to visit the pub as non-cask drinkers and spend more when they are there.

However, 2010 proved a tough year, even in this category, with cask ale volumes down an estimated 2%, which looked favourable by comparison to a 7.8% decline in on-trade beer volumes as a whole.

The report indicated that cask ale should return to growth in 2011, with 2,500 new pubs and clubs that started to sell cask ale last year - a 4% increase in distribution.

Report author Pete Brown said, "Cask ale can help pubs to not only survive, but to thrive. It's attracting new drinkers who spend more in the pub than non-cask drinkers, making them valuable customers. And, as our report reveals, cask is shaking off its historic "flat cap" image and is instead seen by younger consumers as a "cool" drink.

"This increasingly positive picture of cask can only be good news for the pubs who sell it."

28 September, 2011