The latest industry publication, The Cask Report, reveals some interestings facts about the real ale market. Cask ale had…

Real ale is a comparative success story at a time when beer sales are in decline and pub closures are running at 52 a week.

I was chatting to a local publican the other day and asked him why he only offered a single brand of ale. He intimated that his ‘wet’ turnover was too small and that if he stocked more, he’d end up throwing half away (it needs to be fresh and in good condition to sell). I suggested he might be able to offer more choice of ales by approaching local brewers and stocking smaller polypins instead of 9-gallon barrels. That might also give his business a Unique Selling Point – purely locally-brewed ales and locally produced food. Would that be viable, I wonder?