CaskForce couple's rent is paid for a year

Licensees Richard Strzyzewski and Jacquie Ackroyd have won the ultimate prize - their annual rent of about £25,000 will be paid for them in the Marston's and MA joint CaskForce initiative.

CaskForce was launched last October to drive-up beer quality in pubs. Licensees could enter the monthly draws with every purchase of a nine-gallon cask of Marston's.

The eight winners of each monthly draw won £4,000 to spend on improving their pub as well as a place in the grand final, giving them the chance to win the ultimate prize of a year's free rent. Hundreds of other pubs won a day's free training in their outlet on the BII-accredited Award in Beer and Cellar Quality course.

The Union Pub Company tenants of the Tiger Inn, Turnditch, Derbyshire, battled it out against seven other finalists in a nail-biting draw to determine the overall winner. An independent company designed the completely random draw whereby licensees chose one envelope from a set of eight to reveal the final winner.

Ackroyd said: "We absolutely never in a million years thought we'd win the whole CaskForce competition, even having got to the final. We're going to spend the cash we'll save on our rent on a conservatory behind the pub which will provide a superb view across the Ecclesbourne Valley." Strzyzewski took on the Tiger Inn seven years ago - his first pub.

Alistair Darby, managing director of W&D Brands, said he was delighted with the response CaskForce had received from Morning Advertiser readers and promised it would be back later this year.

"The response to the in-pub training has been fantastic, and I must congratulate the beer quality technicians who've been out on the road running the courses," he said. "We are still working on the next part of the campaign, which will be launched in the autumn."

l CaskForce roundup - p26-27