FEATURE: Seeking a saviour for cask

In The Morning Advertiser’s Beer Report, which was launched in June last year, statistics from NIQ showed 1.28m hectolitres (HL) of cask ale on draught was sold in the on-trade in 2025 but that represented a 7.1% fall from 1.40mHL a year before – and an 11.2% drop from two years ago when volume sales made up 1.46mHL.

The financial hit was not as severe with £982m worth of sales in 2023 becoming £974m in 2024 while it was £947m in 2025. These drops were of 3.5% and 2.8% respectively.

In terms of market share of the total on-trade beer market, cask ale volumes used to represent 8.3% of volume share in 2023, which dropped to 8.1% in 2024 but had become 7.7% last year. The story with value is similar as 6.9% of total share is the current figure, having been 7.2% a year ago and 7.4% a year before that.

So, who is the new hero that is going to save the category? Well, it’s younger drinkers.

According to the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA), cask beer is gaining popularity with 18 to 24-year-olds because its statistics showed 25% were now drinking it in 2025, which is almost 10% up on figures from a year before.

The body also reported smaller, independent cask breweries are bucking the trend of falling sales and this pattern continues to be the case.

In the SIBA Independent Beer Report 2025, the body’s findings showed the overall number of consumers drinking cask beer has fallen, with 35% of beer drinkers choosing cask down 2% from 37% the year before.

“However, there is some positive news, with a significant rise in the number of younger drinkers drinking cask,” the report states. “There has been an almost 10% increase in cask drinking among 18 to 24-year-olds to reach 25%, compared to 16% a year before.

“This is likely to be the result of the cheaper price of compared to other formats, with our YouGov poll showing younger drinkers are particularly concerned about price, with a growing number of 18 to 24-year-olds – 59% compared to 51% a year before – saying price is important when deciding what beer to buy.

“It is also possible that, with independent brewers, and their generally more on-trend branding and image, championing the style has lost some of its ‘old fashioned’ reputation for the incoming drinking generation. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues.”

Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, which has been available in cask format at pubs since 1953, topped The MA Drinks List: Top Brands to Stock in 2026 – and saw barely any loss in volume sales from a year prior while value sales rose by 3.6%, according to NIQ figures.

A spokesperson at Keighley-based Timothy Taylor’s tells The Morning Advertiser that while cask ale continues to see long-term volume decline in the on-trade, down by 8.8% in moving annual total (MAT) figures, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), Timothy Taylor’s has “grown consistently”.

They add: “We are committed to delivering exceptional cask quality. [Our] commitment to quality sees us continually investing in our brewery – more than £9m as part of a five-year plan as of 2023 – to deliver outstanding high-quality beers and support long-term growth.”

It also cites its financial commitment to the industry places it a good position too, which includes a focus on quality and technical maintenance with initiatives such as Perfect Pour and cellar training. Also, branded merchandise, glassware and a £2m-plus investment in advertising, promotions and partnerships.

Positive noise around cask

Meanwhile, St Austell Brewery marketing and communications director Laura Plum, talks about the potential for an upturn in the cask market. She says: “There’s certainly been a lot of positive noise around cask recently, particularly driven by smaller independents.

“Any efforts to re-energise the category and boost footfall in pubs is positive. The data suggests certain areas are driving this. London, for example, is reporting real momentum, with many wet-led pubs increasing the number of cask lines and offering four or five high-quality beers at any time.

“The data does show stand-out performance from some smaller and regional brewers. For St Austell Brewery specifically, Tribute has grown 3.3% in MAT volume sales and 7.8% in value sales across UK cask sales, with exceptionally strong distribution gains (up 8.8% MAT) (source: CGA OPM Data to P01 2026 (24/01/2026), supplied through HUK 2026).

“This indicates that while the wider market may still be challenging, strong brands with provenance, and with consistent quality and a clear identity continue to grow.”

Plum adds while London and the central region of England sell the most amount of cask, it’s southern regions where cask makes up a larger share of total beer sales.

The majority of total cask volumes will naturally sit with the larger national and regional brewers due to brewing capacity, national distribution networks, sales support and established pub estates all contributing, she continues, adding St Austell Brewery’s position also plays a significant role in ensuring its cask brands remain visible, well supported and widely distributed across the region’s pubs, bars and restaurants.

On younger drinkers boosting the cask category, Plum says: “We are seeing encouraging signs of younger drinkers engaging with cask – particularly off the back of our rebrand of Proper Job IPA. Through testing, we know the refreshed identity has resonated with a younger audience, helping expand appeal beyond our established loyal base.”

She also cites the introduction of Proper Job and cask more broadly at beer events such as London Craft Beer Festival has “helped break down some of the misconceptions around cask, emphasising its brilliant freshness, flavour and craftsmanship”, adding the company’s own brand performance data suggests younger consumers are increasingly open to exploring cask when it’s presented in a contemporary, accessible way.

The Campaign for Real Ale states there are some good news stories about cask that are drumming up support for the format in the on-trade.

CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins says: “Ordinary drinkers are getting more and more excited about cask beer. With the likes of Thornbridge‘s Jaipur becoming one of the UK’s best-selling beers cask is in resurgence. The revival of Boddingtons and Bass is also good news for cask but it’s crucial global brewing giants don’t stop the independent sector from thriving too.

“People of all generations love a pint of cask – which was underlined in a 2025 SIBA survey showing 25% of young drinkers now regularly order cask when visiting the pub. An encouraging stat for the longevity of this great, historic product.

“However, despite signs for optimism, global brewing giants have spent far too long ignoring cask brewing and not investing in its future. Whether it’s Carlsberg discontinuing Banks’s beers or Molson Coors abandoning the south-west by shutting Sharp’s. We know cask beer is best trusted in the hands of independent breweries.

“Global giants also have a stranglehold over our pubs. The Government must use their ‘access to market’ review to ensure local, independent brewers can get their product onto bars and to pubgoers who want quality and choice.

“The Government has to intervene if pubs are going to survive. The trade needs to see permanently lower business rates bills, a reduction in draught beer and cider duty, a cut in VAT on food and drink, employers’ national insurance contributions increases scrapped and increased support on sky-high energy bills.”

BBPA CEO Emma McClarkin adds: “Although overall cask volumes continue to decline, it remains a vital and unique part of the UK on-trade and it’s great that brewers continue to develop new and exciting cask ales and champion long-standing favourites.

“Cask ale needs to remain affordable so that fans can enjoy it and more people can discover it, which is why Government must work with the sector to cut beer duty which is far higher in the UK compared to most European countries.”

So while the statistics are showing falls in sales at a macro level, there are signs of positivity coming from a variety of sources and it’s up to breweries and great cask beer pub operators to find a way of turning the figures in their favour.

No other country in the word does cask beer in its pubs and bars, it’s more than a unique selling point, it’s a way of life that we cannot afford to lose.