Family brewers: signs of hope in challenging market

Family brewers-which include Charles Wells, Shepherd Neame, Timothy Taylor and St. Austell- now offer customers 704 brands of beer between them, up dramatically from 94 in 2014 and an additional 129 rooms year-on-year.

The survey revealed that while the market remains challenging, tourism is a key area of growth and is enabling family brewers to maintain their market share. Attractions like brewery visitors centres attracted 192,260 visitors in 2015, compared to just 64,170 last year-an increase of over 50%.

Family brewers brew 685,000 barrels of beer per year, equating to 30% of the total cask market.

Chair of the Family Brewers Operations Committee Peter Wells said: “Our annual members’ survey truly provides an unrivalled insight into our historical and culturally rich brewing industry.

"The market still presents its challenges but the results of this research prove that our members are continuing to make their brands and pubs a success, particularly by making the most of the opportunities available to them through tourism.”

 ​