OPINION
A new dawn for independent beer?
As a proudly independent brewer for the past 12 and pub operator for the last 10, I’ve seen the market for cask ale peak, collapse to absolute zero during the pandemic and now steadily begin to recover over the past two years.
“What’s that?!”, I hear you cry, “Cask ale is recovering?? Are you completely mad?”
Let me explain. The market over the past two years has shifted and there’s been an overall reduction in the volume of cask being sold throughout the UK in comparison to the pre-pandemic years. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
In my view, much of the lost volume is from pubs that probably should never have been selling it in the first place. Leased and tenanted operators within big pub companies reluctantly bought tired, old national cask brands, and left them in a zombie-like state on the bar for far too long because they felt they should have cask available.
Tasty beverage
But tired, dull choices of oxidised beers have left their customers underwhelmed and looking for life elsewhere. An underwhelming list of available beers offered to these operators, sold at ridiculously high prices by the pub company, has stripped all the passion from these pubs and it’s about time we called a stop to it, because that’s not what drinkers want or should have to put up with.
I fundamentally believe that most people simply want a tasty beverage, be that a draught lager, craft beer or pint of cask ale. It really is as simple as that. If you can promote beer as having been produced locally and sell it with enthusiasm, knowledge and expertise, then congratulations – that’s even better and you’re onto a winner.
That’s what we’re now seeing in brewery taprooms, independently-owned pubs and across the family-brewer estates throughout the land right now. We’ve all benefited from the large pub companies turning their backs on cask ale and craft beer. At Lincoln Green, our cask ale category across our pubs is 20.7% up against last year for the months of April to June – and last year we were delighted with the record figures we were enjoying.
Exciting innovation
The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) estimate independent beer represents only 6% of the total market, and that restricted access to market prevents this reaching its true potential of 30%.
For too long, pubs have been tied to tired, dull national brands and I believe this is a major reason that beer volumes over the last 40 years have reduced by one third. Compare the direction or travel of cask beer sales the past 40 years to those of the craft beer, wine and spirit categories, which have all flourished as a result of rarely being tied within pubs and have been driven by innovation.
Consumers want to find their tasty drink in places filled with passion. They want choice and a variety of different styles. They want exciting innovation and the opportunity to try something that’s been brewed locally.
It’s time to take the brakes off. We must allow independent beer the opportunity to thrive. And, more importantly, we must give our customers what they want.
