Greene King
In the past few months Greene King IPA has overtaken Tetley's bitter to be the UK's best-selling standard cask ale, another triumph for the beer after it won the 'best standard bitter category at the Great British Beer Festival. Its Abbot Ale is the number three premium cask ale in the UK and Old Speckled Hen is number five in the national premium cask-ale charts. Since the mid-1990s the company has risen from being a regional to a quasi-national brewer, with more than 2,100 pubs, some as far away as Scotland and Wales.
Sue Thomas-Taylor is the marketing director for Greene King's brewing and brands division, having joined the company in December 2001 after time with Marston's, Bass and Whitbread, where she was in charge of high-street pubs.
One of her pet themes is the idea of a 'cross-the-road category: something that appeals to the customer so much they'll cross the road to get to an outlet where they can buy it. Real beer has a huge role to play as a cross-the-road attraction for pubs, says Thomas-Taylor, and the more pubs treat real beer as such an item in their offer, the more they can develop their business.
This needs commitment from both licensees and pub companies, although she does not exempt the beer makers from having to put in plenty of effort. 'In terms of commitment, brewers have to work really hard in seeing the licensees have interest and passion in real beer, and then communicate that to the public. As part of its own efforts, Greene King is investing heavily in both marketing and quality initiatives. 'Quality is all-important, says Thomas-Taylor. 'We are absolutely committed to the development of cask beer, she adds.
Like others, Greene King is attempting to educate consumers about the joys of beer with food. It seems to be working and Thomas-Taylor says that when the company puts on demonstrations at events such as the Good Food Show, people seem much less suspicious about being offered a glass of ale with their grub.
Greene King sees innovation as essential to grow the category: not only new beers, but innovations in glassware, campaigning and marketing. It also believes people will pay more for quality, and they are increasingly aware that cask ale is a hand-made product, worth paying extra for, she says.
The company has grown its own beer sales by 100% in the past three years and hopes to deliver steady growth into the future, says Thomas-Taylor. It is upgrading the brewery, increasing fermentation capacity and overhauling one of the mash tuns. At the same time it is also investing in training in beer handling, and cellar support, as well as in advertising.
Greene King is also taking the drink to the punter. 'People don't hit 35 and think, 'Oh, I'll start drinking real beer now', Thomas-Taylor says. Greene King, therefore, carries out a lot of sampling sessions, which is expensive in terms of time and resources, but essential to give customers a chance to realise why they should be crossing the road.