Cask Ale

Forget the feuds, love the beer

06-May-2013 By Pete Brown

We should celebrate the diversity of the beers we have and not get caught up in needless debates, Pete Brown argues.

Punch Taverns to review POS support offered in cask packs

25-Apr-2013 By Jordan Chamberlain

Punch Taverns is looking to review the point of sale (POS) support offered in its Punch Finest Cask Packs, after a forum with licensees.

Harveys assesses case for pub disposals

18-Apr-2013

Harveys, the East Sussex brewer and pub operator, is considering the future of some of its country pubs that are proving to be less viable businesses, joint managing director Hamish Elder has said.

BT Sport named as sponsor of the Great British Pub Awards 2013

11-Apr-2013 By Jo Bruce

BT Sport is to be the title sponsor of the Great British Pub Awards 2013

Cask Matters coverage goes weekly in the PMA

07-Mar-2013

Cask Matters — the Publican’s Morning Advertiser’s dedicated content aimed at boosting the cask ale category — has undergone a revamp.

Greene King accelerates Local Hero pub agreements

01-Mar-2013 By Rob Willock

Greene King is letting its 17th Local Hero pub on 19 March following a refurbishment at The Queen Inn in Winchester, which will feature a microbrewery.

SIBA report shows local beer sales up 6.8%

28-Feb-2013 By Adam Pescod

Volume sales of local beer rose by an estimated 6.8% last year to over 1.4 million barrels, according to the Local Beer Report, published today by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).

Cask Ale Week 2013 dates announced

26-Feb-2013 By Mike Berry

The dates for Cask Ale Week 2013 have been announced as Friday 27 September to Sunday 6 October.

How pubs can make the most of Mothers' Day

19-Feb-2013 By Phil Mellows

Mothers’ Day, on 10 March, is a prime opportunity for pubs to make the most of their food offer, by providing good value and a relaxed ambience. Phil Mellows reports

Cask Marque awareness grows among pub-goers

21-Jan-2013 By Mike Berry

More than half of cask ale drinkers now recognise the Cask Marque plaque, with six in 10 relating it to beer quality, findings from a new consumer survey reveal.

Invest time in cask beer and reap the benefits

16-Jan-2013 By James Staughton

Make 2013 the year of cask beer. With an ever-growing number of cask-beer drinkers, and its unique nature making it one of the only drinking experiences that can’t be replicated at home, 2013 is the perfect year for licensees to invest time in cask.

Serve cask ale correctly or risk losing customers

15-Jan-2013 By Pete Brown

I had a brilliant Christmas and New Year, thanks for asking. As you might expect, a great deal of it was spent in the pub. This year I had the choice of more different beers in more decent pubs than I’ve ever had before.

Beer Duty Debate: Treasury minister vows to do more to help pubs

01-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Treasury minister Sajid Javid has vowed to take away the messages from the beer duty escalator debate today and “make sure the Government does more to help the industry”.

Cask Report: Different beer factions should unite and celebrate growth of cask ale

17-Oct-2012 By Pete Brown

The latest edition of The Cask Report was launched two weeks ago. We had a great evening in the Parcel Yard — the stunning new Fuller’s pub in the rebuilt King’s Cross Station in London.

Cask Ale Week hailed a success after 8,000 pubs take part

16-Oct-2012

Cask Ale Week has been hailed a success after 8,000 pubs got on board with this year’s event.

Punch Taverns to recruit regional launch managers to help with major pub refurbishments

04-Oct-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Punch Taverns is to launch a number of initiatives for its pubs over the coming months including free Wi-Fi, a mystery shopper programme and new regional launch managers (RLM) to oversee new investments.

Cask Report 2012: Cask ale volumes grow for first time in 20 years

28-Sep-2012 By John Harrington

Cask ale volumes grew in 2011 for the first time in 20 years, and the category has now overtaken keg as the most popular form of draught ale, according to the Cask Report 2012-13, published today.

Cask Ale Week 2012: Pub trade gears up for flagship event

26-Sep-2012

Cask Ale Week kicks off on Friday (28 September) with brewers and retailers up and down the country running a variety of activities to celebrate Britain’s national drink.

InnBrighton opens first brewpub

25-Sep-2012 By M&C Report

InnBrighton, the Brighton & Hove-based multiple retailer, has opened its first brewpub on the site of its former Gloucester nightclub in Brighton.

Keene and Fleury take on third pub

19-Sep-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company (S&NPC) has helped two licensees invest £240,000 to revamp a pub — Acorn 30 in Epsom, Surrey.

Great British Pub Awards 2012: Lass O’Gowrie crowned Great British Pub of the Year

14-Sep-2012 By Mike Berry

The Lass O’Gowrie in Manchester has been crowned Great British Pub of the Year 2012.

Mitchells and Butlers trials Cyclops Beer scheme across 20 pubs

20-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the UK's largest managed pub group, is trialling Cyclops Beer notes as part of its staff training and customer education in 20 of its Village Pub and Kitchen outlets.

Cask Ale Week set for September kick-off

29-Jun-2012

This year’s Cask Ale Week will take place from 28 September to 7 October, with the strapline: ‘Only in Britain, only in pubs!’

Cask Marque demand spreads to Europe and US

21-Jun-2012 By Mike Berry

Demand for the Cask Marque award — which recognises pubs that offer quality cask ale — is catching on in Europe and across the Atlantic.

PMA launches new cask ale initiative Cask Matters

12-Jun-2012 By Mike Berry

The Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) has joined forces with the Cask Report to launch Cask Matters — a new monthly section in the magazine dedicated to Britain’s national drink.

Fuller's reports "very positive" full-year results with pre-tax profit up 3% to £30.3m

31-May-2012 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Fuller’s, the London-based brewer and pub operator, has reported “very positive” results for the year to 31 March, with pre-tax profit up 3% to £30.3m on revenues up 5% to £253m.

The benefits of micropubs

23-May-2012 By Robert Sayles

‘It appears to have everything prospective publicans crave; low start up costs, choice of location, competitive rent and FOT on a fantastic range of cask ales. It's the way to go for many of those thinking about entering the trade, isn’t it?’

Great British Pub Awards 2012 now open for entries

26-Apr-2012 By Mike Berry

The Great British Pub Awards 2012 has officially launched today and is now open for entries.

The Big Interview: Charlie McVeigh, Draft House

23-Apr-2012 By Phil Mellows

After hearing about Charlie McVeigh’s ambitions for his Draft House pub chain, how he aims to double in size to six by the end of this year and get to 15 by 2015, it wouldn’t naturally occur to you say, “Yes, but what else are you doing?” So, leaning...

Thwaites seals pub deal with microbrewer Prospect Brewery

19-Apr-2012 By John Harrington

Lancashire brewer and pub operator Daniel Thwaites has unveiled its first pub partnership deal with a microbrewer that lets the smaller producer serve its own beers free-of-tie, and is looking to roll the agreement out further, M&C Report has learnt.

TCG pubs and bars has relaunched its Proud of Our Ale campaign for April

16-Apr-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Managed operator TCG pubs and bars has relaunched its Proud of Our Ale campaign for April.

Famous lessee hands back keys on two Greene King pubs

21-Mar-2012 By Phil Mellows

A lessee has spoken of his heartbreak at having to hand back the keys on two Brighton pubs with a combined annual turnover of £1.25 million.

Sign here. Now. To save pubs

16-Mar-2012 By Pete Brown

Among the many strengths and weaknesses we have in this industry, one thing we’re absolutely brilliant at is moaning. We’re world-class moaners. Every week, the pages of this magazine are full of people complaining about stuff.

Admiral Taverns reveals price freeze

16-Feb-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Admiral Taverns claims that it is offering tenants and lessees beer products at lower prices than those recommended by brewers.

Robinsons announces price freeze for tenants

15-Feb-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Robinsons, the Cheshire-based brewer and pub operator, has frozen prices for all of its cask beers and some of the lagers it supplies.

More small-scale pubcos use EIS

30-Jan-2012 By John Harrington

Increasing numbers of small-scale pub operators are setting up new companies via funding from the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).

Punch launches new year recruitment drive

05-Jan-2012

Punch Taverns has placed adverts on the back of Carlsberg delivery trucks as part of a recruitment drive aimed at attracting potential licensees from a range of backgrounds to the company.

Pub chains start new year promotions

03-Jan-2012 By John Harrington

National managed pub operators JD Wetherspoon and Barracuda have revealed details of their cut-price January promotions for customers, with both companies selling selected pints of beer for £1.29.

Opening party: Best pub launches of 2011

22-Dec-2011 By Phil Mellows

According to the latest figures from CGA Strategy, for every two pubs that close down, one opens. So as 2011 draws to a close, let’s accentuate the positives. Phil Mellows picks out some of the most successful new openings of the year

Positive trends prevailing

13-Dec-2011 By Pete Brown

This is my last column of the year, and I find myself looking back on 2011 as an unexpectedly good year in many ways for the beer and pub world, and feel ing curiously optimistic about 2012. No, don’t laugh.

My Pub: O'Marleys Red Lion

09-Dec-2011 By Tony Halstead

Mary Winter, co-tenant at O’Marleys Red Lion in Blackburn, Lancashire, tells Tony Halstead how a new name and increasing ale sales have helped double turnover at the pub

The Big Interview: Tim Bird

07-Dec-2011 By Phil Mellows

Finally free of the corporate shackles and running his own pubs, Tim Bird, one of the pub industry’s foremost operations people, has been marshalling the skills and experience accumulated over decades to tackle one of the trade’s knottiest problems. Dog...

Surrey pub wins top Fuller's award

05-Dec-2011 By Adam Pescod

The Queen’s Head in Farnham, Surrey, has been awarded the top accolade by Fuller’s in the London brewer and pub operator’s Pub of the Year awards.

I leave you with 10 industry plus points

17-Nov-2011 By The PMA Team

This is my last leader after 10 years on the magazine and much has changed in the pub sector in my time here. I thought I’d offer up 10 positives about the industry.

What lies beyond the ale?

31-Oct-2011 By Pete Brown

At the start of this month we launched the latest Cask Report. You may have noticed it — the page after page of coverage it received in this magazine was hard to miss.

My Pub: A shining pub star

26-Oct-2011

The chance to acquire the freehold of their leased pub, Ye Old Sun Inn, at Colton, in North Yorkshire, enabled Ashley and Kelly McCarthy to turn a successful business into a stunning one. Tony Halstead reports.

Cask seen again as saviour for pubs

25-Oct-2011

Cask ale has once again been hailed as a real force for good for the pub trade with 80% of licensees expecting sales of Britain’s national drink to rise over the coming year — although 35% believe they are still in for another tough 12 months.

Rick Bailey: Maintaining Family Values

10-Oct-2011 By Phil Mellows

For a while yet the edifice of Daniel Thwaites’s brewery will continue to dominate the centre of Blackburn. If all goes to plan, though, in a few years it will be replaced by a giant Sainsbury’s and relocated to a site, still to be determined, on the...

National Cask Ale Week kicks off tomorrow

30-Sep-2011 By Michelle Perrett

National Cask Ale Week, kicks off tomorrow, with pub across the country supporting ‘Try Before You Buy’.

Realising the potential of pubs

19-Sep-2011 By Phil Mellows

Whether it’s on the property or the operations side of the industry, Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company trading director Chris Moore has dedicated his career to unlocking the value in pubs. He can also pull a good pint, as he tells Phil Mellows.