Cask ale most missed drink

Cask ale is what UK pub goers missed the most while pubs and bars were shut due to the pandemic, according to a national survey.

The data, which was taken from the Greene King Pub Goers Survey of 865 pub goers, shows that almost a quarter (23%) of respondents said that cask ale was the beverage they were most looking forward to when pubs reopened.

Cask Marque says that the decline in cask ale sales has been 4.6 times greater than the overall on-trade beer volumes over the past five years, a trend that was exacerbated by pub and bar closures during the pandemic.

With restrictions on indoor hospitality set to be partially lifted on 17 May, and a full reopening planned for the 21 June, the survey suggests that there is an opportunity for pub operators to capitalise on this demand for cask by offering pub goers something they haven’t been able to replicate at home.

Consumer research suggests that trust in the quality of cask served in an outlet is the top reason for choosing to drink cask ale, while poor quality is seen as the biggest barrier to purchase.   

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