Batemans brewery, in the Lincolnshire village of Wainfleet All Saints, nearly went the drainwards way of hundreds of other small brewers when, in the 1990s, family shareholders decided they wanted to take their money out of the business. George Bateman, the third generation of Batemans to be running the brewery, managed, after a fight, to keep the company independent, and it is now being run by his children, Stuart and Jaclyn.
Its cask beers are supplied direct to just 120 pubs, but wholesaler distribution means they are available across the country. The company says the beers are enjoying 'gradual growth, especially the 4.8% abv Triple XB, five times Premium Beer of the Year and 'a russet-tan brown classic, according to the Good Beer Guide.
Jaclyn Bateman was a nurse at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge before she joined Batemans some 20 years ago as credit controller. Having set up the company's sales through wholesalers, seven years ago, she became marketing director.
Cask ale's growth overall is, she says, partly dependent on investment in the category: 'We saw how cask ale diminished in volume some years ago due to the nationals converting cask to smooth, which had an immense impact on overall volumes of the category. It is unlikely they will reverse this in the foreseeable future. However, the volume brewed by independent brewers as a whole seems to be continuing upwards. Also, the number of new brewers is increasing.
It is in the hands of the independents that the future growth lies, Bateman says, since as a general rule they are committed to cask ale rather than smooth or lager.
'Cask-ale sales by brand are not influenced by expensive marketing to the same degree, she maintains. 'I believe that gradually cask ale will gain significantly in terms of regional loyalty for the small to medium-sized independents, with the national cask-ale market governed largely by the big regionals.
She sees future cask-ale consumers as 'discerning drinkers and 'badge drinkers', who wish to be seen as appreciating a quality, craft drink.
'I see no reason why there shouldn't be a wide cross-section of cask ales as the sector is given more broad appeal. This will be helped by branded glasses, temperature control, and differing cask-ale types stouts, cask lager, fruit-flavoured, dark, different hop varieties and so on. Prices can be increased to reflect the premium nature of the product, she believes, 'but only so long as the offering also continues to improve.
Bateman says that with 'exciting new brand development and regional marketing, the family company is set for consistent growth. It plans gradual expansion of the tied estate, adding an extra three or four houses a year, 'which are cask-ale oriented and serve a wider range than just our own. Progressive Beer Duty 'has meant we can invest in regional marketing and also upgrading of equipment to ensure consistent quality of beer leaving the brewery and being dispensed from pubs, as we have spent and will continue to spend a lot in our pub cellars, she adds.
In the market as a whole, in 10 years time Bateman foresees a cask-beer scene that has become even more regionalised, with even greater loyalty to consumers' local brewers, 'while the large regional brewers will be looked upon as having taken the place of the 'big bad nationals' as they continue to take over smaller regionals, close their breweries and keep some of their brands, in name only. Bateman also predicts that technical advances will increase cask beer's shelf life and that improved training 'will give reluctant landlords confidence to stock cask ales.
Abvs will continue to increase, she thinks, leading to more customers drinking halves.