Sales of cask beer in pubs are down 40% since venues re-opened in April, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). That’s a total of 76m pints.
From April 2021 to July 2021 — the latest sales data the BBPA has — 113 million pints of cask beer were sold in pubs. During the same period in 2019, and before the pandemic, 189 million pints were sold.
It means a loss in revenue to pubs and brewers from cask beer of £243m in the last four months alone, accelerated by the pandemic. However, pre-pandemic, sales of cask ale had already been declining. From 2014 to 2019, sales fell by 17%. From 2009 to 2014, sales of cask decreased by just 0.8%.
However, the decrease in sales of cask beer by 40% since April this year is by far the biggest decline for the category on record, and indicates an accelerated decline in its plight through covid and beyond.
Given the inextricable link between cask ale and pubs, the plight of cask ale is a real concern for the nation’s locals and beer drinkers. It has been driven by pubs looking to stock less cask ale because of uncertainty around trading and restrictions.
All the more reason, then, for the BBPA to get behind Cask Ale Week, which started yesterday and runs until 3rd October.
Emma McClarkin: ‘The BBPA is fully behind Cask Ale Week’
BBPA chief executive, Emma McClarkin said: “The plight of cask beer is a huge concern for our sector. Pubs are the home of cask beer, so if sales of it are declining then it means the viability of our pubs are reducing too.
“We all missed a proper pint of cask ale in the pub during lockdowns. We cannot take cask beer for granted anymore. With the sector reopen once more, it is vital we promote our pubs and the range they have on cask which they so expertly keep and serve. Doing so will help our brewers and pubs in their recovery and ensure this uniquely British style of beer can recover to the glory it deserves.
“The BBPA is fully behind Cask Ale Week and we urge every local, brewery and pub goer to support it!”
Kevin Georgel: ‘There has never been a better time for pub-goers to support their local’
Kevin Georgel is chief executive of St Austell Brewery, maker of Tribute and Proper Job, two of the UK’s biggest and best-loved cask brands. He said: “Not only did the pandemic force our Great British pubs to shut, but it stopped us from being able to serve and enjoy cask beer. The impact of this has seen an accelerated decline of this quintessential British beer.
“The uncertainty of covid, lockdowns, and restrictions has meant fewer pubs serving cask because it is a live product and has shorter shelf life. Likewise, it has meant the spontaneity of going to the pub for a pint — the core cask ale drinker occasion — has diminished.
“There has never been a better time for pub-goers to support their local, by choosing to drink fresh cask beer, that’s been expertly brewed, stored, and poured.”
