Announcing Cask Ale Week 2013 – The Great Big Taste Challenge

Paul ButlerLatest News, News

Pubs up and down the country should start to plan for Cask Ale Week! The Week runs from 27th September to 6th October – and is all about giving people a chance to celebrate Britain’s national drink at their local pub.

The theme, the Great Big Taste Challenge aims to give landlords plenty of scope to highlight their cask offer, run promotions and put on events. It gives landlords the scope to get their chefs to recommend cask ales to match each dish on their menus; involve their local CAMRA branch in an event; get loyal cask ale drinkers to ‘introduce a friend’ through promotions or sampling activity; give prizes for the best descriptions of the taste of each cask ale that they sell.

“It doesn’t matter what you do,” says Annabel Smith of Cask Marque, “so long as it stimulates interest in cask ale – and drives some sales”.

The celebration kicks off on Thursday 26th with ‘ale tasting master classes’ in pubs and breweries up and down the country. If you are a landlord and would like to be involved in this, or in a tutored tasting event during the Week, why not invite a brewer or a beer expert to your pub to host an event? Check out details on www.caskaleweek.co.uk and snap up an expert now so you don’t miss out!

Annabel Smith, one of the country’s first three women to qualify as a Beer Academy Sommelier, will be hosting a Ladies’ Cask Ale and Chocolate tasting event at The Coach and Four in Wilmslow. It’s in conjunction with Hydes brewery. Annabel commented on the event as follows:

“The event is part of the nationwide launch of Cask Ale Week on 26th September. It’ll be educational and informative, but also huge fun and a treat for the taste buds! Every licensee who’s interested in cask ale should be able to think of something for The Great Big Taste Challenge – and there are lots of brewers and Beer Experts out there to help them in putting on an exciting activity.”

“Cask ale is a live, natural product, simply bursting with flavours. Yet, nearly 50% of adults have never tried it. The whole point of Cask Ale Week and the Great Big Taste Challenge is to change that. So I’d say to pubs and breweries ‘get involved; use the platform to create some fun activity; create a real buzz around Britain’s national drink – and get more people drinking it!

“Whether it’s tutored tastings, a beer festival, beer and food menus, a promotion or competition, make the most of the Week to get your tills ringing and cask ale sales soaring!”

Annabel Smith of Cask Marque
The Great Big Taste Challenge - Cask Ale Week 2013

The Great Big Taste Challenge – Cask Ale Week 2013