I have vivid memories of sitting outside pubs as a child while my parents were inside, sensing there was something mysterious and exciting about the world of beer.
I also remember being given a sip of my dad’s cask ale as a teenager and enjoying the taste. Later, at university in London, I went to the Dove with a then boyfriend and had a pint of London Pride (which I later ended up brewing at Fuller’s!) – a classic introduction to cask.
It was around then I realised my degree in biotechnology included the science behind brewing. That’s when the love affair truly began. I also started to appreciate cask beer as a heritage product, deeply rooted in British history and culture.
It’s the most natural beer on the bar and there’s so much to learn about it. Cask is our national drink, representing centuries of brewing tradition. It was the first style of beer brewed this way (real ale) and is one of the things we do best in Britain – it deserves our respect.
Secondary fermentation
Cask undergoes secondary fermentation in the barrel, which enhances its flavour and character. Cask is also a brilliant way to explore new beer styles – you might just discover your favourite. From deep, rich stouts like our Mena Dhu, to smooth Belgian blondes, malty bitters and hop-forward IPAs, there’s a whole world of flavour waiting on the hand pump.
People do say to me that they’ve had a bad pint of cask, which has put them off and, if that happens, it’s absolutely right to let the team know behind the bar.
Cask beer requires special care and attention from the moment it leaves the brewery to when it’s served in the pub. Unlike CO₂-forced keg beer, which can sit for weeks without issue, cask needs a little more love. Backing from retailers for cellar training programmes would help improve consistency in cask, whether through direct investment or by supporting individual brewer-led initiatives or organisations such as Cask Marque and their Beer Pro scheme.
Perfect pint
Be bold at the bar. Learn about cask, its British brewing heritage, and be proud to support it and challenge its quality. Most pubs do a great job with their cellars. Across our 164 pubs in the south-west, we have an in-house quality team working to ensure every pint is top-notch. Our Master Cellarman awards recognise our pubs that achieve exceptionally high standards in cellar management and ale quality, ensuring the perfect pint is served.
By speaking up, you’re helping to improve standards and ensuring cask remains a true representation of Britain – high quality, proud of its reputation and committed to upholding it.
To celebrate our brilliant cask heritage, St Austell Brewery will be holding its 23rd Celtic Beer Festival on 22 November, hosted in the Victorian cellars of our historic brewery in Cornwall. More than 100 cask beers are going to be on offer, so if there was ever time to give cask a go, it would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
