BREWERS' GUARDIAN: SIBA in £40K cask ale push

SIBA in £40K cask ale push
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Rob Brown on 01 February, 2010 10:44:00
 
Britain’s independent brewers have agreed to stump up £40,000 for a marketing
push to promote cask beer, the drink being touted as the UK’s ‘national
drink’.
The cash, contributed by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), will
provide point-of-sale marketing support for National Cask Week, an initiative
aimed at attracting more punters into the country’s pubs to try cask beer.
The package will pay for 1,000 promotional packs for pubs signed up to SIBA’s
Direct Delivery Scheme that will include branded drip-mats, posters, bunting and
flags aimed at raising cask beer’s profile at bars up and down the country.
“We’re delighted to be helping a number of our customer pubs make the most
of National Cask Ale Week,” said SIBA commercial director Nick Stafford.
“Some 85% of the beer brewed by SIBA members is cask ale, so we are
supportive of anything that encourage people to try our national drink and are
confident that National Cask Ale Week will deliver an impressive sales uplift
for our members’ beers.”
Last year’s event generated sales growth of 27% over the week and
participating pubs saw an overall sales lift of 5%. Cask Ale Week - organised by
Cask Marque and the Campaign for Real Ale – will take place from March 29th to
April 5th.
In further support of the event, SIBA is calling on the 450 brewers that form
its membership to hold brewery tours, tastings and beer and food matchings
throughout the week.