"Massive" changes needed to keep pace with cask boom

Speaking after the Cask Report 2015 was revealed​ at Brewers’ Hall, Aldermanbury Square, London, Wall said more intervention and support is needed for licensees if cask is to hit 20% of on-trade beer sales by 2020 – as predicted in the report.

In response to the trend Enterprise is developing plans for beer festivals, which it hopes to finalise in 2016.

But Wall said pubs need to address a “critical gap” in industry standards for beer dispense systems.

“We have an ingrained way of working in this industry which needs a new approach,” he said.

“Is the dispense working at the optimum level? If it isn’t, it needs to be changed. By 2020 every licensed premises should have a fully functioning high quality dispense, which delivers beer at the right temperature – just how the brewer would want it. To reach that there’s a massive amount of work to be done.”

Wall is the director of 700 sites around London; in recent years the number Cask Marque-accredited has grown from 4% to 28%.

All Enterprise sites accredited outperform others by 3% in volume growth, he said.

Qualifications​

The pubco is running schemes such as a cellar of the year award to encourage excellence, and has eight new training courses planned in London.

Wall continued: “It’s vital to give your staff skills. You need brand advocates, ambassadors to champion the brands. You can achieve this by running tasting sessions with staff, or meet the brewer.”

The divisional director said he’d welcome standard industry qualifications to recognise staff who are skilled in choosing an appropriate range of beers and able to advise customers with their expert knowledge.

“We need to ensure we get the right range and effective variety of beer, it sounds simple but it’s incredibly hard to replicate,” Wall added.