Cask Marque

OPINION

OPINION: Could ‘Fresh Ale’ be cask’s saviour?

22-Mar-2024 By Annabel Smith

I’m a cask ale fanatic, a purist.

THE CASK PROJECT

Why Cask Ale Week is a highlight on the pub calendar

24-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Plenty has happened in recent times when it comes to the world of cask ale – not least Cask Ale Week, which was, as usual, a huge success.

THE CASK PROJECT

Hook Norton brewer: quality and price point key for cask’s future

10-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Maintaining quality and not being scared to charge what your beer is worth will help cask beer stay at the forefront of UK pubs.

The Cask Project

Pete Brown: difficult to find why cask is doing so badly

29-Sep-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Pete Brown has told an audience of beer experts customers see cask beer as a premium product and say it should be priced as high as any ‘premium lager’ at the bar.

Mixed response to Cask Marque’s 'Beautiful Beer' scheme

29-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Licensees have given varied responses to a new scheme that Cask Marque has announced, which aims to recognise pubs that provide a wide experience.

The Cask Report 2018

Cask Marque: decline in cask sales is 'concerning'

28-Sep-2017 By James Beeson

Cask Marque’s Paul Nunny has admitted that the 5% drop in sales of cask beer reported in this year’s Cask Report is “concerning”.

The Cask Report 2018

Cask Marque reveals plans for 'Beautiful Beer' scheme

28-Sep-2017 By James Beeson

Cask Marque has announced details of a new scheme aimed at recognising pubs that provide “the whole beer experience”.

The Cask Report 2018

Cask is craft, not keg, according to consumers

27-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Cask Report 2018 director Paul Nunny has outlined what consumers really think about cask and keg beer ahead of the report's release later this month.

The Cask Report 2018

Consumers willing to pay more for quality cask beer

27-Sep-2017 By James Beeson

Four in five customers (81%) would be willing to pay up to 20% more for a quality pint of real ale, according to The Cask Report 2018.

The Cask Report 2018

Cask beer sales down 5%

27-Sep-2017 By James Beeson

Overall sales of cask beer have fallen by 5% in the past six years, according to data compiled by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) for The Cask Report 2018.

The Cask Report 2018

The Cask Report 2018: mixed fortunes for cask in the age of craft

27-Sep-2017 By James Beeson

The range and flavour of cask beer has arguably never been better, but with sales continuing to fall, what does the future hold for the dispense style that for many is synonymous with British drinking culture?

Ei to give away 15,000 pints of Doom Bar

22-Sep-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Ei Group is set to hand out 15,000 free pints of Doom Bar in partnership with brewer Molson Coors to celebrate Cask Ale Week.

Cask v keg argument ‘redundant’ – Fourpure Brewing Co

19-Sep-2017 By James Beeson

Focusing on the dispense method used in brewing beer “divides drinkers instead of uniting them” according to the head of operations for one of the UK’s leading craft breweries.

Cask Marque accredited Star sites doubles

12-Sep-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The number of Star Pubs & Bars sites with Cask Marque accreditations has doubled since the beginning of 2017.

Cask Marque to widen reach with new ‘All Beer’ accreditation

07-Aug-2017 By Claire Churchard

Quality accreditation service Cask Marque plans to widen its reach beyond cask ale with a new ‘All Beer’ accreditation scheme for beers on draught, The Morning Advertiser has learned.

Cask Marque becomes new owners of Cyclops

01-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Cask Marque has taken on the running of the beer-tasting notes scheme Cyclops after its founders said it had “outgrown its home”.

7 day beer line cleaning rule ‘not strictly true’

12-Apr-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Cleaning beer lines every seven days is not necessarily the tell of good hygiene, on-trade cellar sanitisation firm Avani has claimed after a report outed the ‘dirtiest’ beer in Britain.

Cask Marque’s first bar staff training plan

10-Apr-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Real ale champions at Cask Marque have revealed plans to produce the pub trade’s first comprehensive training scheme to help the sector serve cask ale at its best.

Where are the ‘dirtiest’ pints in Britain?

06-Apr-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Operators in the south-west of England have been called out by this year’s Beer Quality Report as the most likely in the UK to pour pints from unclean lines.

Bad beer puts pubs at risk of ruin

06-Apr-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs face potential ruin if they do not improve the quality of their beer, especially in an environment of increased costs and competition from the likes of coffee shops and fast-food outlets, sector experts have warned.

Cask Report

Cask Report: Communication and beer quality are ‘paramount’ to drive sales

23-Sep-2016 By Sara Hussein

The author of the Cask Report 2017 has stated that bar staff need to be trained well to be able to talk about cask ale to customers. 

Cask Report

Cask Report: Category now worth £1.7bn a year

20-Sep-2016 By Sara Hussein

This year's Cask Report reveals how the category has grown over the past decade, now worth £1.7bn a year.

Good Beer Guide

Cask Marque to sponsor Good Beer Guide

19-Jul-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

This year marks the 44th edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, which will be sponsored by Cask Marque and is set to be published in September.

Beer

Beer Quality Report: Main points for licensees

14-Apr-2016 By Michelle Perrett

Pubs are missing out on more than £300m worth of profit because of quality issues, the Beer Quality Report from Vianet and Cask Marque revealed last month. Here are some key facts highlighted in the report relevant to licensees:

Beer quality issues cost pubs £300m in lost profit

17-Mar-2016 By Ed Bedington

Quality issues on beer could be costing the pub sector more than £300 million a year in profit, a new report has claimed.

Cask Marque hires female trade quality expert as beer assessor

10-Feb-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Cask Marque has hired its second female assessor in the UK as it continues to promote beer quality in the on-trade.

Beer

The Cask Report 2015-16: ‘How pubs can profit from cask’

22-Sep-2015 By Bruce Dickinson & Pete Brown

This year's Cask Report has been published and beer writer Pete Brown has delivered his findings - with a little help from Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson.

There's A Beer For That

Beer festival kits in 500 pubs ready for Rugby World Cup

16-Sep-2015 By Oli Gross

Kits enabling licensees to set up beer and food matching events and festivals have been sold to 500 pubs in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup.

Cask Ale Week

Punch offers free pints again for Cask Ale Week

15-Sep-2015 By James Evison

Punch Taverns is supporting Cask Ale Week by running a free pint promotion between Thursday 24 September and Sunday 4 October 2015.

There's A Beer for That

Education is key to beer's renaissance

17-Jul-2015 By David Cunningham, programme director, There's A Beer for That - sponsored feature

We have to urgently apply three things to keep consumers interested in beer, David Cunningham writes.

Cask Marque launches new brewery accreditation scheme

02-Jul-2015 By Mike Berry

Cask Marque has launched a brewery accreditation scheme for regional and local breweries to demonstrate to buyers their commitment to quality, consistency and legality.

Enterprise Inns announce cellar keeper of the year

26-Jun-2015 By Michelle Perrett

A 71-year-old licensee at London’s Nightingale pub has been named Enterprise Inns’ first Cellar Keeper of the Year.

Cask Matters launches website

30-Sep-2014 By James Wallin

A website has been launched to help licensees look after and sell cask ale successfully.

9,000 pubs now have Cask Marque accreditation

25-Jul-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

Cask Marque, the industry watchdog responsible for assessing the quality of cask ale, has accredited its 9,000th pub.

Not the time to be unclear about cask beer

24-Jun-2014 By Pete Brown

Cask ales have come a long way but, to ensure it doesn’t revert back to its fusty past, education of staff and customers is key, argues Pete Brown.

Black Sheep becomes Cask Marque training centre

22-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

Black Sheep brewery has been designated as a Cask Marque Training Centre of Excellence. 

Cask Marque pubs serve a better pint, survey shows

22-Nov-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

Cask Marque pubs deliver a better quality pint compared to non-accredited outlets, a recent survey has shown.

Cask Marque to open centres for excellence

14-Aug-2013 By John Harrington

Cask Marque is to open 11 centres of excellence for pub cellar management across the UK.

Pubs urged to get ready for Cask Ale Week

28-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

Pubs have been urged to start planning for Cask Ale Week in September after this year’s theme was unveiled.

Punch Taverns area manager is the first to visit 1,000 pubs as part of Cask Marque’s World’s Biggest Ale Trail

09-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

A Cambridgeshire man has become to first to visit 1,000 pubs as part of Cask Marque’s World’s Biggest Ale Trail.

CaskFinder app upgrade aims to further boost cask ale category

09-Apr-2013 By Jordan Chamberlain

The popular CaskFinder app is being upgraded following consumer feedback, in the hope that it will reach 100,000 users a month by the end of the year.

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.

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.

Punch pub gets top Cask Marque Quality Service Award

20-Jul-2012

A country pub in Suffolk has become the first pub in the UK to be awarded 100% for its excellent service standards when assessed for Punch Taverns’ Quality Service Award.

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.

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.

Cask Ale Week success hailed

25-Oct-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Cask Marque has reported the ‘World’s Biggest Ale Trail’ to be a “great success” with 948 people registering for the £50,000 initiative.