First up, Anspach & Hobday hosted The MA and talked about how trade is approaching the end of 2025 and founders Paul Anspach and Jack Hobday gave their views on the sector.
One aspect mentioned by all who The MA visited was the price factor with a sector view that cask ale – which is only found in abundance in the UK – is falling short when it comes to being priced fairly.
Hobday, whose kegged and packaged London Black Porter is selling very well, said: “We recognise the market for cask is always cheaper than kegged beer and that doesn’t feel right.
Pay more for it
“It will go off quicker than kegged beer and the work to get it to the bar is more.
“I’d rather have a guaranteed great pint of cask and pay more for it.”
Anspach added: “Cask is best when you’re getting through it. Doing a ‘nine’ in a night rather than in three days means everyone is going to have a better time.”
Meanwhile, The Kernel brewery and taproom founder Evin O’Riordain explained its cask beer is not its main offer but finds traditional dark beer recipes are the ones it favours making over lighter styles.
O’Riordain said: “We prefer [to make our] cask [beers] as browner, darker beer rather than pale and hoppy beers – but there’s plenty of paler and hoppy beer out there in cask. For us, [dark cask beers] are more interesting.
“There’s a resurgence for something with provenance.”
76% hike in business rates
Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) head of comms Neil Walker talked to The MA about the cask market and how indie breweries and pubs have suffered via the Autumn Budget.
He explained: “We saw business rates and rateable values increase - this combination means the average pub will pay 76% more in business rates. It’s not workable. Where pubs fail, brewers are going to fail as well.”
Finally, Terry Allan, general manager of the Royal Oak in Borough – a Harvey’s pub – talked about its offer, the demographic of drinkers and also said cask is sold “a little bit too cheaply and I’m not entirely sure why. There’s a lot of time that goes into it.”
