Cask Report research shows that 55% of those who drink real ale drink it every week. And cask ale drinkers visit pubs more often and spend more money while they’re there.
“If nothing else persuades you to get involved with Cask Ale Week, these facts certainly should,” says industry expert Paul Nunny, addressing his remarks squarely to brewers, licensees and pub operators.
Additionally, the report says 80% of drinkers would like to go to beer tastings and 65% to beer festivals during Cask Ale Week.
“The question is whether the nation’s breweries and pubs can fulfil this huge demand during the celebratory 11-day ‘week’,” says Nunny. “It’s up to everyone in the trade who has a vested interest in cask ale to step up to the mark and make sure we’re giving pubgoers what they want. It’s not rocket science to organise a beer tasting, open the brewery, or put on a promotion — but it does have a really positive impact on sales and reputation.
“The great thing about Cask Ale Week is that it’s flexible. Licensees and brewers can use it in the way that best suits their businesses.”
“If your business in any way relies on cask ale, make sure you make the most of Cask Ale Week. It’s 24 September to 4 October. It’d be crazy not to!” says Nunny.
Everyone who wants to get involved is encouraged to use the hashtag #CrazyNotTo when posting pictures and information on all forms of social media.
Ten reasons to get involved
- Promotes beer, in general, and your beers in particular
- Rewards loyal drinkers
- Introduces new drinkers to cask
- Gets more people into the pub
- Gets customers to visit more often (65% of drinkers say they visit the pub more often during Cask Ale Week)
- Makes you a part the craft revolution (most cask ale is craft beer!)
- It’s free, easy to register and there are no rules
- Shows appreciation for your local community
- Builds your reputation as cask hero
- Sells more of your cask beer!
Six tips for getting organised
- Keep the focus on cask ale — but using craft to help market it if that helps with your audience (“most cask ale is craft beer” as beer writer and Cask Report author Pete Brown says).
- Use the Cask Ale Week logo
- Submit event details to http://caskaleweek.co.uk/add-event/. Events can be searched by region so make sure yours is on there!
- Post event info to the Cask Ale Week Facebook page
- Tweet @caskaleweek or #caskaleweek, and get your customers to do the same
- Get in touch with your local press/media to maximise PR opportunities
Draft House
Draft House founder Charlie McVeigh reported an impressive increase in sales of almost 40% during Cask Ale Week last year. The pubs ran a “give us our daily cask” campaign, with all cask ales at £2.75 for the week (pretty cheap for London!). There were promotional materials but managers also made extensive use of social media.
James Daley, general manager of Draft House Northcote says: “Cask Ale Week was a great success for us. We already have a regular (and very socially diverse) cask-ale customer base, so you’d have thought it would be hard to increase cask sales. But it actually achieved a fantastic uplift in sales.
“The campaign increased visits by regulars — and got them interested in experimenting. And the “give us our daily cask” campaign proved popular with everyone — definitely helping convert some new people to cask.
"That’s men and women of all ages from 20 to 80! With a selection of ales from porter to pale, and amber to blonde, there was something to suit all palates. At £2.75 a pint, people were keen to experiment — and they’re still coming back for more even now the week is over!”
Butcombe Brewery
Butcombe Brewery has been opening up its brewery to the public on a Saturday in September for several years.
“The festival started off as a way of showing gratitude to our village for its support,” says Butcombe Brewery’s Tom Newell.
“While it is still a ‘thank you’ to the local community, it now sits under the Cask Ale Week banner and people flock from far and wide. It’s satisfying to see so many people enjoying Britain’s national drink. As a way of rewarding our loyal drinkers and encouraging new people to try our beers, it works perfectly.
“It’s definitely the best piece of PR activity we do each year,” Newell added.
Pub quizzes
If your pub hosts quizzes, this is a no-brainer. Putting on a quiz all about pubs and beer should appeal to current audiences — and attract newcomers. There’s no need to spend time on questions, just visit http://caskaleweek.co.uk/info-media/pub-quiz/ and request a free quiz. They are there for you on a plate.
Make sure to package it up as a Cask Ale Week activity (there’s a Cask Ale Week quiz logo on the website).
And ensure that the patter on the day helps people feel they are part of the countrywide celebration of Britain’s national drink.
Palmers Brewery
“Our business revolves around cask ale, so it makes perfect sense to use Cask Ale Week to promote our brands and brewery, at the same time as supporting pubs,” says Darren Batten, head brewer at Palmers Brewery. “Meeting our customers and having a beer with them is brilliant: the more people who can see and share our passion for real ale the better.”
Palmers initiatives last year:
- Pub quiz throughout tied estate (55 pubs)
- Special Cask Ale Week menus
- Brewery open day — 50 free-of-charge brewery tours
- Free samples equaling 27 gallons of beer
- Tastings on Palmers beer bus
- Baking with Palmers Tally
- Ho ale and working with
- local farm Denhay to serve bacon rolls
- Bespoke T-shirts
- Assisting local pubs with free-of-charge support
- More than 60 cyclists took part in a fun ride to eight Palmers pubs
Pubs and pubcos
Get your brewery suppliers to support you with tutored tastings and special offers. Use third-pint tasters, beer and food menus, ‘introduce a friend’ promotions, or whatever works for you.
Remember, you don’t have to come up with something new, you can just put an existing event under the umbrella of Cask Ale Week.
That should help with appealing to consumers (ie, making them feel they are taking part in something and giving them an excuse to join in) as well as with PR.
Breweries
Tap into the 80% of drinkers who are interested in beer tastings during Cask Ale Week, and the 65% who’d like to go to a beer festival. Why not host a beer festival at your brewery?
Throw open your gates and offer drinkers the chance to see brewing in action! Offer tours and tastings and give people the chance to taste the beers straight from the cask.
Brew a special Cask Ale Week beer.
Look into making it a collaborative brew with a beer writer, local journalist or chef — indeed anyone who enhances your opportunity for PR activity.