Star Pubs Launches Real Ale Support To Coincide With Cask Ale Week

Star Pubs has collaborated with 30 brewers from around the UK to create a free cask ale training playbook designed to address publicans’ most common concerns about cask and drive sales.

Called Hello Cask, the training is part of a wider package of cask ale support provided by Star Pubs – including a guest ale programme aligned to emerging new trends – that has helped its pubs outperform the market year-to-date. Its launch coincides with Cask Ale Week, which Star Pubs is also marking by releasing Marmalade Best2, a limited-edition ale aiming to raise up to £20,000 for leading loneliness charity Marmalade Trust3 and highlight the role of the great British pub in bringing people together.

Marmalade Best is being brewed exclusively for Star Pubs and HEINEKEN UK on trade customers by Timothy Taylor’s. For every pint sold during the three months it is available, 20p per pint sold will go to Marmalade Trust, which Star Pubs has supported since 2023.

Research amongst participating brewers into common barriers to stocking cask ale has determined the topics covered in the Hello Cask training. It debunks myths about the difficulty of delivering cask with modules such as a step-by-step guide to conditioning, common cask mistakes and tips & tricks to ensuring consistent top quality. With ease of use in mind, the training comes in bite-sized chunks that can be accessed by publicans and their staff at any time. To keep it engaging, the content is presented in a variety of formats from checklists to videos filmed at breweries.

Says Caren Geering, Central Operations Director for Star Pubs: “We know publicans are busy – with Hello Cask they can benefit from training without the need to leave their pubs, including sessions filmed in breweries. Thanks to the participation of brewers around the UK, the training provides a truly national approach to the cask category.

“In a cost-of-living crisis, customers are seeking out quality and an experience they can’t replicate at home when they choose where to go out. A great cask ale offer will deliver this. Nearly 70% of our estate currently stocks cask ale. We’re committed to getting even more on board and to supporting our pubs in achieving the perfect pour – it’s the way to outperform the market in any drinks category.

“We’re starting to see green shoots of growth in the cask sector with younger pub goers and women discovering it, particularly in high street venues. Over time we expect this trend to take off in community pubs. More fruity flavours, such as the citrus notes of Marmalade Best, are proving particularly popular with the younger demographic. Cask is a product that people love to talk about and lends itself to discussion, making it the ideal drink to raise funds to aid people experiencing loneliness.”

Adds Andrew Leman, Head Brewer at Timothy Taylor’s: “Working with Star Pubs to create Marmalade Best has been a real joy for our brewing team. We set out to craft a beer that balances bright citrus aromatics with the depth and smoothness people love in Timothy Taylor’s cask ales – and Marmalade Best delivers exactly that. Its vibrant, zesty profile strikes a chord with drinkers, and will help drive increased interest and demand for quality cask across the bar.”