Greene King's Abbot Ale sales grow 12% despite cask decline

"We're well on track to build the best beer business in Britain," Greene King Brewing Company managing director Justin Adams told the MA today.

Discussing one of his leading brands, Abbot Ale — the number two premium cask beer in Britain and the number two premium cask beer in London — he said: "Abbot has grown consistently, even over the past decade, when the overall cask market has been in decline.

"During the past year, sales were up a highly creditable 12% on the previous year. This shows there is still significant demand for great quality ales, well presented and effectively marketed."

Our table of the Top 10 premium on-trade brands to March this year, published last week on page 39, contained an error.

Data consultants Nielsen which supplied us with the table omitted two names from the list — Abbot Ale and Landlord. Apologies from them and us to both companies for this mistake.

The correct table — based on Nielsen's on-trade audit data to the year to March 2008, excluding packaged products — is as follows:

n 1 Marston's Pedigree

n 2 Greene King Abbot Ale

n 3 Draught Bass

n 4 GK Old Speckled Hen

n 5 Courage Directors

n 6 Wells' Bombardier

n 7 Taylor's Landlord

n 8 Sheps' Spitfire

n 9 Adnams' Broadside

n 10 St Austell Tribute