As Cask Ale Week gets under way, Purity Brewing Co is remaining passionate about the preservation and promotion of premium cask beers.
Quality is seen as one of the biggest barriers to purchase for cask consumers. Sixty per cent of drinkers cite a poorly-kept and served pint being two of the top reasons for not choosing a pint of real ale (CGA Consumer Intercepts 2018). Thus, ‘Pure Quality’ has always been a prime focus for Purity.
To ensure every pint of its award-winning cask beer is served in the best possible way, Purity invests both time and money into quality training every year. New customers becoming part of its Puritan community are offered the opportunity to partake in Pure Quality cellar and beer pour training.
“Our focus in cellar and beer training is to demystify and simplify the whole approach to keeping beer,” said John Conod, Purity’s Puritan experience manager.
“Not everyone who works in a pub or bar will have a passion for beer, and we wouldn’t expect them to. Instead, we focus on what the customer is looking for and give the trainees a three-point brief, from beer environment to equipment and handling, then establishing good routines.”
Pure Quality runs throughout the business, no less so than at Purity Brewing Co’s Birmingham-based Pure Craft Bar and Kitchen. Pure Craft has been bucking the cask trend for some time. Sold at a premium price versus the market, its expertly and carefully maintained cask makes up three of the top five brands sold across the bar.
Matt Lockren, general manager of the bar, said: “Over the past five years we’ve seen our cask volume grow year on year, now sitting just shy of 24% of our total beer sales. Our performance is no surprise and can be put down to
four core principles.”
These are:
- Routinely cleaning cellars and lines
- A colder serve temperature
- A controlled beer environment
- Fully trained staff
“We know consumers are willing to pay a little more for a great qualityexperience,” said Matt, “and we pride ourselves on our quality of service, alongside our quality beer.”
The Fleece Inn at Bretonfort, CAMRA’s Worcestershire pub of the year, takes four casks of Purity’s Mad Goose each week. Landlord Nigel Smith said: “Keeping and curating cask ale hasn’t come without its challenges over recent years. However, operating a traditional pub like us, it’s important to keep cask alive through the right range and brands.”
Andy Maddock, Purity’s group chief executive, said: “We’re truly proud of our cask business and have continued to place huge emphasis on the importance Pure Quality plays in keeping great looking, great tasting cask beer since coming out of the pandemic.
“As a business built on a backbone of cask, we understand the importance it plays day to day in staying relevant for our core customers and established drinkers.”
