E-Malt.com News article: UK: Premium cask beer brands proving “far more resilient” amid ongoing decline in wider cask category

Despite ongoing decline in the wider cask category, premium brands are proving “far more resilient”, Asahi UK marketing director Rob Hobart told The Morning Advertiser (The MA).

Recent figures from the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) showed cask consumption has slipped, with just over a quarter of beer drinkers now choosing it.

Among younger consumers, the drop was even more pronounced. However, the situation is more nuanced than the top-line numbers, Hobart suggested.

While standard ale has borne the brunt of the decline, is proving “far more resilient”, he told The MA, adding the segment is “far from insignificant”.

“Six million consumers still drink cask - twice as many as stout drinkers.

“While the overall cask category is in decline, this is largely driven by standard ale. Premium cask brands are performing far more resiliently”, Hobart continued.

The head of marketing said cask drinkers are also highly influential when it comes to choosing venues for their wider social group, adding cask drinkers typically visit the on-trade more frequently and spend more per head.

However, Hobart warned consistency and quality were critical for operators, particularly when it comes to charging a premium price point for cask.

He described quality as the single biggest challenge for the category.

Cask requires care, skill and attention to detail in both storage and service, and once tapped it has a limited window of just two to three days”, Hobart continued.

“A good level of knowledge and commitment from bar staff is key, as well as expert cellar support from suppliers like ourselves, in order to ensure best standards of quality and throughput.

“A poor-quality pint quickly hits rate of sale, which then compounds the quality problem further.”

Alongside quality, Hobart highlighted range as a “fundamental” driver of performance.

He encouraged operators to offer a combination of recognisable national brands with regional and local brews across different styles and ABVs.

“A balanced, interesting range will attract cask drinkers to your pub, improve throughput and, ultimately, help maintain beer quality.

“Established national names such as London Pride, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Bass demonstrate that growth is still achievable when a quality product is backed by a strong, trusted brand proposition”, he told The MA.

Asahi UK is investing in the segment through targeted partnerships and campaigns designed to drive footfall into pubs, particularly behind Fuller’s London Pride, which Hobart said was the second-largest cask brand by value.

He added this activity, including brand partnerships with Premiership Rugby and national consumer campaigns, aimed not only to strengthen individual brands but also to encourage trial across the wider cask category in the on-trade.



06 May, 2026