Cask Ale Week Celebrates Traditional British Brewing with Major Trade Participation

Approximately 10,000 pubs and breweries across Britain are participating in this year’s Cask Ale Week, which continues until 28 September, offering licensees significant opportunities to drive footfall and showcase traditional cask-conditioned ales.

The annual celebration, established in the early 2000s by cask ale accreditation body Cask Marque, has evolved into a decentralised nationwide event taking place across licensed premises throughout the UK. The organisation continues to oversee the initiative, which has become a key promotional period for the on-trade.

Major Pub Groups Launch Promotional Campaigns

Several leading pub operators have introduced compelling offers designed to attract customers during the celebration period:

Arkell’s managed estate is running weekday afternoon promotions with £3 pint pricing between 3pm-4pm, targeting the traditionally quieter mid-afternoon trading period. Fuller’s properties are leveraging their customer database to drive group visits, offering complimentary pints to friends of existing customers.

Ember Inns has activated its Cask Ale Club loyalty programme with £3.50 pricing on Mondays and Thursdays, while Craft Union Pubs is operating a “buy five, get one free” promotion. Nicholson’s 80-strong estate has implemented a Cask Card scheme offering every fifth pint free.

The Nicholson’s operation has also introduced a charitable element, with 5p from every pint of their house pale ale – produced by St Austell Brewery – being donated to homelessness charity Social Bite throughout September.

Industry Initiatives Drive Consumer Engagement

The week features coordinated activities designed to build cask ale appreciation among new consumers. Participating venues are collectively offering approximately one million complimentary tasting samples, allowing customers to sample products before purchasing full measures.

A pub quiz format focusing on brewing knowledge has been deployed across hundreds of participating venues, capitalising on the educational aspect of the campaign while driving dwell time and additional sales opportunities.

Digital Tools Support Trade Participation

Cask Marque’s Caskfinder mobile application, which has recorded 1.4 million downloads and averages 40,000 monthly uses, serves as the primary consumer-facing tool for locating participating venues. The platform supports a limited edition merchandise campaign, with customers earning branded t-shirts for visiting 12 listed establishments during the promotional period.

Last year’s campaign distributed nearly 400 promotional t-shirts through this mechanism, demonstrating strong consumer engagement with the digital platform.

Strategic Focus on On-Trade Exclusivity

The campaign emphasises cask ale’s unique position as an exclusively on-trade product, positioning participation as a direct method of supporting local licensed premises. This messaging aligns with broader industry initiatives to reinforce the pub’s role in British drinking culture.

The 10-day promotional window extends the traditional week format, providing operators with an extended period to implement promotional strategies and maximise the campaign’s commercial impact.

Cask Ale Week runs until 28 September. Licensed operators can find participation details and promotional materials through Cask Marque’s website https://caskaleweek.co.uk/