However, industry voices have warned the segment could “consolidate” next year.
Owner of the Tamworth Tap, which was crowned Britain’s Best Beer Pub at this year’s Great British Pub Awards (GBPA), George Greenaway, told The MA he had seen an increase in “quality and choice” across all styles within the category this year.
He said: “Hazy beers have been flavour of the month for a while, but that’s starting to drop off now and we’re going back to crystal clear session pales and golden ales.”
This has been driven by education about cask, Greenaway added, namely from the likes of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and The Campaign for Real (Ale).
“Cask has always been a good alternative to the blander drinks out there. But people are more aware of them now and are actually enjoying discovering real ales”, he continued.
In addition, real ale venues have become more “inclusive” and offer a “safe space” for consumers to “try new things”, Greenaway said.
The award-winning operator added this has changed the image of cask beer and helped the segment appeal to a wider demographic throughout 2024.
“Everybody can feel comfortable experimenting in dedicated real ale bars; we work with the local community and are marketed by CAMRA as inclusive spaces, so people do feel more comfortable.
“It’s not the reserve of the old blokes now with the beards and the jumpers just sat there in a circle drinking the same brown beer”, he continued.
Peak in the market
Though looking ahead, Greenaway warned the cask market could “consolidate” next year.
He explained: “I think we’ve reached that peak in the market and, as with pubs, the good [beers] will survive and endure.
“There’s going to be tougher times ahead that may be reflected in, unfortunately, price increases at the bar, but I think the good ones will prosper.”
The best-selling cask beers in the on-trade in 2024 were Sharps Doom Bar, according to The Morning Advertiser’s (The MA) Drinks List 2024, followed by Timothy Taylors Landlord and Greene King IPA.
According to the data, eight out of the top brands remained the same this year, with Fuller’s, Wainwright’s and St Austell keeping their spots on the list.
However, Old Speckled Hen and Black Sheep Bitter were both new entries for 2024, coming in at ninth and tenth place respectively.
Despite coming top of the pops, Sharps’ Dooms Bar saw the biggest drop in both volume and value, recording a 24.3% and 21.3% fall respectively.
Meanwhile Old Speckled Hen saw the healthiest figures on the list with a 13.3% rise in volume and a 16.5% uptick in value.
- Access all the information on The Drinks List 2024 by signing up for free here.
However, SIBA head of comms Neil Walker told The MA production volumes for independent brewers returned to pre-Covid levels for the first time this year, adding cask had seen “double-digit growth”, as shown in SIBA’s Independent Beer Report 2024.
Walker said: “It’s clear demand for great-tasting beer from indies is in high demand in cask, but profitability and access to pubs remains a big challenge in a tough market for small brewers.
“Freshly brewed ales from local or micro-brewers are some of the most sustainable beers on offer and support local business and employment.”
Tim Bird
“When cask is done well it sells well, and indie breweries are making some of the most diverse and interesting cask beers ever.
“To keep your customers interested in case you need to offer interesting choices from local breweries.”
Last month, SIBA launched its Indie Beer Campaign to help make accessibility to discover local beers easier, which Walked said had “taken off like a rocket”.
Owner of Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars, Tim Bird, told The MA he was “proud” to say cask ale outsold lager in his pubs this year, especially those brewed locally to his venues.
Bird said: “Our best-selling cask ales are our locally brewed ‘House Ales’, which are unique to our pubs and herein lies the secret - ales that aren’t the ‘same old, same old’, and aren’t owned by a national chain or regional brewer.
“Freshly brewed ales from local or micro-brewers are some of the most sustainable beers on offer and support local business and employment.”
However, he anticipated the segment could “struggle” in 2025 as big brewers, in particular those with a focus on lager, take ownership of some of the “best ale brands”.
“The future of cask ale in the hands of the ‘big boys’ is going to suffer massively. Regional brewers too will suffer because in the end everyone is bored of their ales. They need some innovation, some excitement and certainly change.”
Changing world
Meanwhile, Moor Beer Company founder, Justin Hawke, told The MA consumers have “switched back” to lower ABV cask products in a bid to reduce spend and find “comfort”
He said: “It’s interesting to see how the market continues to evolve and respond to the rapidly changing world.
“Whether it’s Government policy or geopolitics, people are adapting - 2025 will be the year of comfort drinking.
“The quest for ‘new’ is over. People want to revert back to warmer memories and are actively seeking opportunities to rekindle those feelings.
“Our Bitter, Golden Ale, Stout and Lagers are all doing better, whereas we’re seeing some of the more playful and expensive beers losing favour.”
Next year, this is likely to have an impact on how breweries market their cask products, Hawke added.
He continued: “A few months ago we updated the recipe and marketing for our Bitter, simply calling it Bitter rather than a brand name.
“It was something people could much more readily identify with, and the enhanced flavour profile combined with the lower price and ABV of 3.4% have seen sales treble.
“We’re seeing our customers reducing the number of taps they run and sticking with more beers like this to give their customers more reassurance in these troubling times.”
