Cask ale sales set to rise

National sales of cask ale are set to grow for the first time in over ten years, according to a new industry report.

"The Intelligent Choice", written by beer writer and marketing consultant Pete Brown, argues that after over a decade of decline and bad news stories, cask ale brewers are reporting record sales and the market is enjoying a period of record investment

"How can cask ale be suffering this way when we have more brewers in the UK than at any one point in the last 50 years, many of whom are reporting soaring sales?" he asked.

Brown points the finger of blame for the years of decline squarely at the big four national brewers and their failure to invest in big cask brands such as Bass, Tetley's and Worthington's.

The report states that this decline of the nationals will bottom out in the next few years with the growth of the regional and local brewers continuing unabated.

"We feel we have overwhelming evidence to challenge the doom and gloom merchants outside of the trade that take one look at market data and conclude the British beer industry is in steep terminal decline," said Brown.

The report is jointly published by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the Independent Family Brewers of Britain, the Society of Independent Brewers, the Cask Marque Trust and the Why Handpull? group.

It makes a strong case for licensees to stock cask ale, arguing that the drinkers who will consume cask are more affluent and will be more willing to pay a premium and will appeal to consumers looking for something fresh and locally produced.

Key statistics from the report

• The cask ale market is worth £1.4bn a year and accounts for 11 per cent of on-trade beer volume

• Up to 80 per cent of all volume decline in ale comes from the big four brewers (Coors, Scottish & Newcastle, InBev and Carlsberg)

• Against this backdrop of decline many cask brewers are enjoying volume and value growth - regional and independent brewers are growing by an average of 7.5 per cent a year.