Autumn: the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, trouble on the money markets, house prices on a down turn and no Indian summer. And that’s just for starters, never mind the rest of the world. So, unless you were at a certain little bash in Brighton, it might have been hard to look on the bright side these past few weeks. Personally, I've have dealings with Northern Rock and half expected someone would knock on the door asking me to bale them out. But no, good old Gordon stepped in. Thanks Gord.
However, I can bring you some rather more cheering news that I very much doubt you will have gleaned from the national press. The other day, forlornly glancing through my inbox, I spotted something interesting. Sandwiched between an invitation to sample the delights of colon cleansing and yet another promise to extend a certain part of my anatomy (where do these people get their information?) a missive from the Beer Writers’ Guild jumped out. It informed me that cask ale is alive and well, despite rumours of its impending demise.
A report ‘The Intelligent Choice’, compiled for such august bodies as the Campaign for Real Ale, the Independent Family Brewers of Britain, the Society of Independent Brewers, Cask Marque and the Why Hand Pull group, has come to this conclusion after some serious investigation.
Your blogger gets to grips, as it were, with the boom in cask ale.
Nailing the doom myth, the report suggests that the alleged five per cent decline in the ale market is misleading since most of the losses are with the four big bad multi-national brewers who dominate the market but are ‘systematically withdrawing support from cask’. Well, with some of their offerings, perhaps we should be relieved rather than aggrieved. Not all cask ale is beyond reproach by any means and, in my humble view, it would be a positive joy to see the towels permanently put on some well known hand pumps.
However, I can bring you some rather more cheering news that I very much doubt you will have gleaned from the national press. The other day, forlornly glancing through my inbox, I spotted something interesting. Sandwiched between an invitation to sample the delights of colon cleansing and yet another promise to extend a certain part of my anatomy (where do these people get their information?) a missive from the Beer Writers’ Guild jumped out. It informed me that cask ale is alive and well, despite rumours of its impending demise.
A report ‘The Intelligent Choice’, compiled for such august bodies as the Campaign for Real Ale, the Independent Family Brewers of Britain, the Society of Independent Brewers, Cask Marque and the Why Hand Pull group, has come to this conclusion after some serious investigation.
Your blogger gets to grips, as it were, with the boom in cask ale.Nailing the doom myth, the report suggests that the alleged five per cent decline in the ale market is misleading since most of the losses are with the four big bad multi-national brewers who dominate the market but are ‘systematically withdrawing support from cask’. Well, with some of their offerings, perhaps we should be relieved rather than aggrieved. Not all cask ale is beyond reproach by any means and, in my humble view, it would be a positive joy to see the towels permanently put on some well known hand pumps.
Written by the independent author and marketing man Pete Brown, the report declares there is abundant evidence to suggest the industry is in robust health with independent brewers growing on average by 7.5 per cent a year. In fact, he says, the sector should return to growth within the next few years if the present trend continues and the decline from the multi-nationals levels out.
Pete poses the rather pertinent point: “How can cask ale be suffering when we have more brewers in the UK than at any point in the last fifty years? The number of pubs stocking cask ale is increasing, while consumer group Camra is boasting record membership and bumper attendance at its beer festivals.We have overwhelming evidence to challenge the doom and gloom merchants that take one look at market data and conclude the British Beer Industry is in terminal decline. “
Pete’s report is well presented, interesting and extremely worthy. But of course for anyone who regularly pops into any Brunning & Price pub it’s also a statement of the blinkin’ obvious.
Ok, it appears there are still a few loonies who, I am told, ask for nitro-keg nonsense when confronted by six of seven hand pumps. Needless to say they are quickly advised of the error of their ways.
But, even the casual observer will realise that a great deal of cask ale is being shifted. And the consumers of real ale are, without doubt, becoming a much more eclectic bunch (see report from the GBBF below).
Pete poses the rather pertinent point: “How can cask ale be suffering when we have more brewers in the UK than at any point in the last fifty years? The number of pubs stocking cask ale is increasing, while consumer group Camra is boasting record membership and bumper attendance at its beer festivals.We have overwhelming evidence to challenge the doom and gloom merchants that take one look at market data and conclude the British Beer Industry is in terminal decline. “
Pete’s report is well presented, interesting and extremely worthy. But of course for anyone who regularly pops into any Brunning & Price pub it’s also a statement of the blinkin’ obvious.
Ok, it appears there are still a few loonies who, I am told, ask for nitro-keg nonsense when confronted by six of seven hand pumps. Needless to say they are quickly advised of the error of their ways.
But, even the casual observer will realise that a great deal of cask ale is being shifted. And the consumers of real ale are, without doubt, becoming a much more eclectic bunch (see report from the GBBF below).
Your correspondent can report from the front line that the independent brewing business is bouncing. As, co-editor of the New Imbiber magazine, I write up some eight to ten – yes ten – new micro start ups every couple of months.
After enjoying year-on-year growth since 2002, Moorhouse’s is on the brink of transition from relatively small independent to regional brewer status. It's just invested in a producing a TV commercial in readiness for the major expansion of the brewery next year (see ghastly hags right).
Not bad for a one time 'micro'.
Meanwhile, across the Pennines, two young lads have kicked off the new 20 barrel brew length Leeds Brewery just a short distance from the Tetley monolith whose future is rumoured to be under threat. They plan to open a pub as well. And while I was on holiday in the Yorkshire Dales I visited the eponymous brewery in Askrigg where business was bouncing and also discovered a new brewer preparing for start up in the rather remote village of Keld. Meanwhile, back in Cheshire the fledgling Woodlands of Wrenbury is opening a pub in Nantwich and another brewer is preparing to launch at Altrincham.
That's just a snap shot of the bigger picture portrayed in Pete Brown's report. Without doubt there's a growing market for quality cask ale with real provenance. So maybe things really can only get better with Gordon - at least for cask ale enthusiasts. Let’s have a pint on that then. Cheers!
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