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and its Good Beer Guide 2009 is a behind this recent growth. “Firstly,
WHO DRINKS CASK ALE?
well-respected tome for seeking out
RECENT YEARS
we are in a period where people
the best watering holes Britain has want organic produce and want to According to The Intelligent
to offer – when featured within its HAVE SEEN MORE know where products have come Choice, a 2008 cask ale report
pages, many establishments will
AND MORE PEOPLE
from. Secondly, people are more by beer writer Pete Brown,
advertise the fact in order to draw in open to going on a voyage of there are:
new customers. In addition to this,
SEARCHING FOR
discovery.” Today’s consumers like UIforwardAround seven million regular
there is the Camra LocAle scheme
AUTHENTICIY IN
to feel that they’ve discovered cask ale drinkers –
which is helping to support the something different. Simon approximately 15% of the
growth of real ale. “This is a new
PRODUCTS, AND A
Theakston, executive director of total UK adult population
initiative that promotes pubs Theakston’s, agrees: “Recent years UIforward85% are men, but that still
stocking locally brewed real ale,”
GREAT INTEREST IN
have seen more and more people leaves half a million women
says Camra’s press officer Jon
PROVENANCE.
searching for authenticity in who regularly drink cask ale
Howard. “The scheme builds on a products, and a great interest in UIforward67% are social grade ABC1,
growing consumer demand for CASK ALE INVOLVES provenance. Cask ale involves a compared with only 55% of
quality local produce and an
A GREAT DEAL OF
great deal of tradition.” the population
increased awareness of green The bigger companies have duly UIforwardWhen it comes to age, 63%
issues.” According to beer writer
TRADITION
taken note. Asda recently launched are over 45, and the average
Pete Brown, quoting The Society of a competition looking for the best age of the cask ale drinker is
Independent Brewers (SIBA), “Over new beers from micro, regional and 51. “But that still leaves a
400 new breweries have been national breweries. Tesco, which significant number of younger
created in the last five years. Sales has increased its ale range from 50 drinkers,” says Brown
from local breweries are estimated to 200 varieties in the past two UIforward“Cask ale certainly doesn’t
to top £320 million and we have years, runs similar initiatives with its seem to be a novice’s drink,”
more breweries in the UK now than drinks awards, helping to get new he continues, “with only 6%
at any time since 1945.” products into the market. Not to be of drinkers aged between 18
outdone, Sainsbury’s also ran a and 24, but this number
Reasons for the resurgence competition. The entrants for this doubles when we get into
Beer in general is now back in the were solicited from British breweries the 25-34 age group”,
cool zone. People are more only, and the product had to be coming to 12.4%
interested in local produce and either produced especially for the UIforwardHowever, the above numbers
heritage, with farmers’ markets and competition, or not normally refer to regular drinkers. In
the prevalence of cookery available in the off-trade. the area looking at people
programmes leading to a much “Supermarkets have been a key who drink cask ale
greater interest in ingredients and driver of increased consumer occasionally, Brown reports
where a product has come from. awareness of real ale,” says Martin that they actually have a
Riding high on the back of this is Howe, senior national account younger profile
real ale, styling itself as the informed manager for PLB’s beer division. UIforwardThere are 640,000 people
choice of a connoisseur with “They now stock a greater who drink cask ale
provenance and an easily traceable range, and are communicating occasionally
story. “We attend a lot of farmers’ with consumers by helping them UIforward88% are male
markets and food shows,” says to understand the different UIforward45.5% of them are in the 25-
James Watt, managing director for styles and tastes that are now 44-age bracket
the contemporary, younger-market available.” As for on-trade UIforward15.8% are aged 18-24
orientated BrewDog. “There is a involvement, JD Wetherspoon Conclusions: while there are not
growing interest from consumers as launched its International Real Ale massive numbers of younger
to where their food comes from and Festival on 29 October, boasting up people that are drinking cask ale
how it is made. There is also a to 50 ales and ciders from 10 regularly, a large percentage in
growing discontentment with countries, available in 700 pubs the occasional drinker category
products that are mass produced by over 18 days. Beer events and provides fertile ground for future
multinational companies.” festivals in general are increasing in growth. In addition, as Brown
Shepherd Neame’s sales and frequency, and September saw the states, “women remain a largely
marketing director Graeme Craig inaugural Beer Exposed take place untapped opportunity for cask”.
believes there are two key drivers in London. A number of real ale UIforward
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