Cask Ale Week gets under way today and it’s perhaps not an understatement to say that this year it’s not just about promoting Britain’s national drink, it’s about helping to save it.
There’s a perfect storm out there. Costs, especially energy costs, are rocketing. Staff are in short supply. Cask ale is the lifeblood of many pubs, many community locals, but a lot of doors are closing. For good.
Breweries are closing, and it’s not just small ones. Already this year the likes of Kelham Island, in Sheffield, and Nomadic Beers, in Leeds have ceased trading. Carlsberg Marston’s is set to pull the plus on Jennings, in Cockermouth.
Cask Ale Week is organised by Cask Marque, with the support of industry groups including the British Beer & Pub Association, CAMRA, UKHospitality, and the British Institute of Innkeeping. Many Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) members will be getting involved, too, with hundreds of thousands of pints ready to be consumed between now and 2nd October.
Cask Ale Week engages and supports breweries, pubcos, and pubs to organise events that encourage customers to discover — and fall in love with — real ale. Events are listed on the Cask Ale Week website.
Drinkers are encouraged to engage with the campaign by using the #CaskAleWeek and #StandUpForCask hashtags on social media, while sharing their experiences.
Paul Nunny, director of Cask Marque, said: “Cask Ale Week is important for both cask beer and pubs. After all, the last stage of the fermentation process of real ale happens in the pub! We want to celebrate the pub as central to the community. It’s now more important than ever to support hospitality and to encourage human connection.
“We believe that the pub plays an important role in this, and Cask Ale Week not only introduces new drinkers to the fantastic tradition of cask beer, but encourages them to visit and support local breweries, pubcos and pubs in their locality.”
Hear, hear! Let’s get out there and support of Great British pubs and our national drink over the next ten days.
