Marston's prepares to license Fastcask

Since it hit the market three years ago 80 million Fastcask pints have been sold, however the company now feels it has had the competitive advantage it will get.

“We believe that we’ve had all of the first mover advantage now and, as with the widget in a can of 20 years ago, it probably is time to release the technology before someone invents a variation of it and we lose the advantage anyway,” Westwood explained.

The company has also just invested in a new filling line, due to be installed in December, which will help “exploit Fastcask a bit harder” in export markets and take-home by using disposable plastic beer kegs.

Innovation​

Westwood is credited with having invented Fastcask, a revolutionary system using beads of yeast that allow beer to ‘drop bright’ almost immediately, which means it can be served from upright casks that can be moved around at will.

He says the innovation is “bigger than I thought it would be at this stage”, with around a third of Marston’s cask volumes now being sold from the format.

Fastcask has brought cask ale into new markets it previously it could not reach such as music festivals, hotels and holiday resorts, he said, as well as offering a more convenient option for venues already serving cask beer.