How Hook Norton is shaking off cask's 'unsexy' image

The award-winning Oxfordshire brewery, known for its cask range including Hooky and Old Hooky, has invested in and expanded both the bricks and mortar and offering at its 175-year-old site in Hook Norton village. 

From upgrades to the buildings and equipment to hosting tours, opening an on-site restaurant and shop to utilising its microbrewery to test out new products, including brewing special beers made specifically for weddings held at the venue.

Cask comeback 

These innovations, alongside the rich history of the area and business, have drawn more customers from cities and the “overcrowded” craft beer scene to Hook Norton, Clarke explained.

He said: “Being on the edge of the Cotswolds, [we get] quite a lot of London-based tourists coming here, who are exposed to the massive craft beer market there, so when they come here, they are looking for something different.

“We're seeing a bit of a comeback onto cask beers. Some people say brown cask beers are unsexy, or maybe some even more less complimentary comments, but there's definitely a market for it.”

However, it’s crucial for historic and cask brewers to keep sight of their traditions and what they are “good at” alongside innovation, the managing director added.

Importance of provenance 

For example, the brewery, which also has a 36 strong Midlands-based pub estate, still uses its famous shire horses to deliver beer to pubs in the local area on occasion and they are something “virtually every customer wants to see”, Clarke said.

“Provenance is important, I’m surprised there isn’t more interest in provenance. We’ve been using water from our own bore hole, from milestone rock, from the Mid Jurassic period, using the same water source for 175 years.

“Every Hook Norton beer is brewed [at the same brewery], whether it be a bottle or cask ale, the recipe for Old Hooky is consistent all the way through.

“We’ve got to keep the innovation going while not losing sight of what we are good at and have a lot of experience in, which for us is lower strength mild and malty casks.”