Confusion over size of cask ale market continues

The confusion over a report that claimed the cask ale market was healthier than previously thought, shows no sign of being resolved.

In December the Business Guide to the Cask Ale Market, published by CGA and Martin Information, claimed that the cask ale market had a retail value of £2.6bn and accounted by volume for almost 25 per cent of the beer market.

But research firm AC Neilson defended previous estimates by the British Beer and Pub Association that put the real ale market at less than 10 per cent.

Now Martin Information has hit back at AC Neilson's claims.

Managing editor Martyn Cornell said the report was "rightly causing a stir". He said the research had been ongoing for two years and was an attempt to come up with a "comprehensive picture of the whole cask ale market".

Mr Cornell added: "The result is that for the first time ever the whole cask sector has been measured, covering all breweries and about 66,500 on-trade retail outlets - a sample of about 50 per cent of draught beer stockists."

Reaction to the original report has been mixed. Mr Cornell said: "There is good support for this new initiative even though the overall size is a surprise. The fact is that the on-trade remains an important market and cask ale is performing better than many sectors. The industry deserves better than to rely on incomplete statistics."