Cask pubs in toast record

Hundreds of thousands of people all over the country will be raising their glasses at 7pm on Saturday 11 April in a bid to break the record for the world's biggest toast.

The attempt to break the current record, of 485,000 people, forms just one part of a raft of activities planned for National Cask Ale Week this year, which runs from 6 to 13 April.

More than 5,000 pubs nationwide will be involved in celebrating Britain's national drink. In addition to the Biggest Toast, events include: a call for the Government to recognise Monday 6 April as National Beer Day; FemALE Day on Wednesday 8 April; Introduce A Friend on Thursday 9 April; and Visit A Brewery Day on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 April.

National Cask Ale Week is being backed by the Campaign for Real Ale, Cask Marque, Independent Family Brewers of Britain and, of course, the Morning Advertiser. National newspaper the Daily Telegraph is also on board and will be publishing features on cask ale, producing a supplement and running competitions.

A series of ads highlighting the celebrations will also be running in the Daily Telegraph in the three weeks prior to the event. In the first week the campaign will promote Cask Marque, the second week it will be aimed at encouraging people into pubs, and in the final week the ads will tell readers about a free prize draw they can enter by visiting their local.

"This is the first time that brewers and pub groups have come together to create one massive event in honour of cask ale," said Mike Benner, Camra chief executive. "We want to celebrate this natural, hand-crafted product that is unique to pubs and remind the great British public why cask ale is our national drink."

If you want to get involved in any of the events or would like more information on Cask Ale Week, go to www.caskaleweek.co.uk.