There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in Cask Ale Week and, if you run a pub, why not replicate some of these ideas in your own pub? See below for plans so far from breweries and pubs around the UK including beer festivals and tastings, food and beer matching, “Try Before You Buy” and opportunities to involve drinkers in creating a cask ale.
If you’re running an event don’t forget to tell your local media, as well as customers, what you’ve got planned. You can also find out more at caskaleweek.co.uk
BUTCOMBE BREWERY
Re-launch of HAKA (Butcombe’s most successful Seasonal Beer ever! ) at Colston Yard Pub, Bristol on Thursday 25th September 6pm-8pm. Loads of Free Beer & Food!
Annual BUTCOMBE BREWERY OPEN DAY (Wrington, North Somerset BS40 5PA ) Saturday 27th September 11am–3pm
* Loads of fantastic Butcombe beer & Ashton Press Cider, all Free of Charge * Regular Brewery Tours . . . hosted by the Butcombe Brewers * Mendip Morris Men * Food . . . from the fantastic local Story Meat Company * Live Entertainment . . . and much more!
Loads going on in the Butcombe Pubs (Check www.butcombe.com for details )
* The Lamb, Axbridge * Queens Arms, Bleadon * Colston Yard,Bristol * Malt Shovel, Cannington, nr. Bridgwater * Ring O’ Bells, Hinton Blewett * The Cottage Inn, Bristol * Frog & Fiddle, Cheltenham * The Rose & Crown,Hinton Charterhouse, nr. Bath * The Old Crown,Kelston, nr. Bath * Queen Victoria, Priddy * The Cross Keys, Rode, nr. Frome * The Swan, Rowberrow * Bell, Stokes Croft, Bristol *Prince of Wales, Westbury on Trym, Bristol * Woolpack, Worle, Weston-super-Mare * Fox and Hounds, Charlton Adam, near Somerton * Mill, Rode
CHARLES WELLS/WELLS AND YOUNGS
Lots of exciting activity planned:
* Making third pint kits available to pub company and free trade licensees. One representative from each will win a tutored beer tasting hosted by Head Brewer, Karl Ottomar and his team – Chris Reid, Bob Nisbet and Alison Britt. Dates and details of the pub to be confirmed
* Beer and food matching evening.
* Programme of social media activity planned including a series of 30 second beer tastings by Wells & Youngs brewers. Also the opportunity for people to ask the brewing team any questions they have about cask beer through a live twitter chat on Friday 3rd October using the hashtag #caskthebrewer
* Activity at The Elephant & Castle in Lyon, France. They’ll be selling cask beer and there should be a live link up between them and one of the pubs in the UK.
* Offer a local journalist a tour round the brewery to coincide with CAW and involving him/her on the tastings etc
ENTERPRISE INNS
Cask Ale feature in Enterprise Inns Magazine 19th August.
EVERARDS
Everards Brewery are hosting a ‘Beer with the Boy’s event to kick off Cask Ale Week on Wednesday 24th September at 7pm. Everards beer king Mark Tetlow will be hosting the event at The Globe, nestled in Leicester’s vibrant ‘Lanes’. The Meet the Brewer Night will see him guide you through the history of beer and brewing process with a little help from some of Leicester Tigers and Riders players who will be posed to answer your grilling questions on the night. The intimate event promises to be an interesting and fun night with a selection of ales and home-made bites from the Globe. Visit to win your place!
Promotion: Win a place to our launch event. Prizes everyday, like and share videos
Third pint glasses available to licensees
Menu/dishes to match cask beers: Will suggest to licensees in internal magazine
Press/radio/TV: Leicester Tigers and Leicester CAMRA
PR/Social Media: Online videos each day. The series will be called ‘Tiger, a truly British pint’ and will follow the story how Tiger is brewed, distributed and enjoyed in pub over 7 daily short videos. We will give 7 prizes away each day, to be in with a chance of winning simply like and share video
Twitter: @EverardsTiger Facebook.com/Everards
FLACK MANOR BREWERY
Flack Manor’s Official Opening and Celebration of Cask Ale Week is set for Tuesday 30th September 2014 where two events are being planned – the first for the Trade 11.00am – 16.00pm and the second for the Public 17.30pm – 21.30pm.Flack Manor is a small brewery, in Romsey, Hampshire, employing just eight but with a wealth of experience. In the 4 years since our inception, we have created a wide interest in our award winning beer and National Cask Ale Week is the perfect time to open our doors to the community, to see first-hand what we do (particularly since our recent capital investment) and sample some of our other excellent beers which might not have been previously sampled.The Evening public session of celebration is by ‘Ticket Only’ with Brewery Tours 17.30 – 21.30pm. The £5 entrance fee includes the Cask Ale Week Souvenir Pint Glass; sampling tokens for two pints and a Brewery Banger in a Bun with ticket proceeds going to a local Charity. The price is set to provide great value for the public while raising funds for the chosen charity too. There will be entertainment – Morris Dancing and Guided Tours plus the opportunity to sample more beers and additional food.
FULLERS
Beer Sommelier Jane Peyton is curating a beer festival using beer of the London Brewer’s Alliance. The beer festival runs for the duration of Cask Ale Week.
On Thursday 25th September at 5pm at Fullers Mad Bishop and Bear pub, 1st floor, Paddington Station, London W2 1HB a free beer and food matching session and signing copies of Jane Peyton’s book ‘Beer o’ Clock. (The publican is Helen Wilson and she is the current Mastercellarman (woman) of the Year for Fuller’s pubs.
Twitter: @MadBishopBearW2 @SchoolofBooze
GREENE KING
Master Brewer, John Bexon, will be offering free cask ale tastings at the Brewery Shop throughout Cask Ale Week for Greene King customers and brewery tour visitors.
Beer Festivals will be running throughout the Greene King pub estate covering the Cask Ale Week period.
The famous Old Speckled Hen brand is welcoming a new, Limited Edition Hen into the coop this Cask Ale Week. Old Nutty Hen is a delicious 4.5% warming chestnut ale that will be available in selected pubs during Cask Ale Week. Be sure not to miss it before it’s all gone!
HALL AND WOODHOUSE
Beer festival at the brewery on Saturday 27th September with c. 35 beers on and live music in the afternoon.
All proceeds from the beer festival will go to the chosen charity which is MacMillan.
HARVEY’s
Cask Ale Week coincides with the Lewes OctoberFeast when the brewery will run a number of beer/food related events, as well as tutored tastings and brewery tours. Brewery Development Manager, Edmund Jenner will be hosting a Beer Masterclass on Friday 3rd October 2014. Saturday 4th October sees the launch of the Winter seasonal brew – Old Ale. The ‘Launch of Old’ is a celebration that is open to the public and is free of charge. It starts with a service of Thanksgiving at St Thomas a Beckett’s Church (Patron saint of Brewers) behind the brewery, where hops and barley abound in equal measure. The church is normally full to capacity and the service is followed by a display of Morris Dancing in the brewery yard, where the public crowd in and the new ‘Old Nouveau’ flows freely. In 2013 they served/gave away 1,000 pints in the space of one hour.
HERON AND BREARLEY (Okell Ales)
Beer Festivals (Isle of Man) in pubs across estate plus social media activity (@okell ales)
HOOK NORTON
Tutored Tasting from James Clarke in Visitor Centre to launch CAW on Thursday 25th September.
Beer Festival at The Pear Tree Inn, Hook Norton
Third pint glasses in majority of tied estate
Menu/dishes to match cask beers in selected outlets
Ladies Beer and Chocolate evening on Friday 10th October at the Hook Norton Brewery, hosted by Beer Sommelier, Annabel Smith.
CAW logo on Hook Norton website www.hooky.co.uk
@hookybrewery
@Hookypubs
@hookyjames
@hookyinlondon
LIBERATION GROUP
Try Before You Buy Promotion and POS
LINCOLN GREEN BREWING COMPANY LTD
In support of National Cask Ale week, Lincoln Green Brewery (NG15 7SZ) are hosting a Beer Festival on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th September 2014 – 30 beers and 8 real ciders will be available in our unique brewery location. The festival runs from 12 noon until 11pm each day and hot food, teas, coffees and cakes will be available throughout. There will also be live music on Saturday night from 7.30pm. Entry is free, glasses are £3 refundable deposit (or exchange for a 2 pint takeaway!) and tokens are 50p each – 2 tokens for a third of a pint and 3 for a half.
More information and beer lists at www.lincolngreenbrewing.co.uk
MARSTON’S
You can find out about all the products available from Marston’s and it’s group of breweries – from the hills of the Lake Districts where their Cockermouth brewery is based, down to the South Coast, home of their Ringwood brewery.Alongside this, a number of pubs will be offering sample platters where you’ll be able to purchase 3 x 1/3 pints for the price of a pint, giving you the chance to discover your favourite ale of choice! Don’t forget to ask for a taster if you’re looking to sample a pint of real ale before dipping into your pocket. Marston’s are offering ‘Try before you buy’ point of sale to their stockists to encourage sampling activity.
MOORHOUSES
* Launch event in a pub exhibiting and tasting Black Cat Reserve exclusively from the cask – a real one off as part of a set of visits/roadshows.
* Tutored cask ale tastings during the week : Black Cat Reserve Roadshow in specific towns
* Beer Festival: Moorhouses Beer Exhibition Friday 3rd October and Saturday 4th October at the Brewery.
* Point of Sale: Black Cat exclusive pin badges
* Menu matching: Food at the beer exhibition will be matched to core range
* Special Beer: Black Cat Reserve 4.6% and 7%
* Events: Black Cat Reserve Roadshows
www.moorhouses.co.uk
@moorhousesbrew
Beer and Food matching seminar on Saturday 4th October, 2.30pm, at the brewery in Burnley, hosted by Beer Sommelier, Annabel Smith.
OAKHAM BREWERY
Oakham are launching a brand new beer to coincide with Cask Ale Week
The beer will be ‘The Navi’ at 5.5% ABV and will be a quarterly special and will be an addition to their aged and vintage range.
PUNCH TAVERNS
The Daily Telegraph will be offering a free pint offer on the run up to Cask Ale Week, the voucher to be redeemed in Punch Finest Cask Club pubs.
ROBINSONS BREWERY
For Cask Ale week, Robinson’s Brewery will be offering free 1/3 pint kits to its pubs Free of charge to the first 100 pubs that ask for them. The idea behind the promotion is to encourage the pubs customers to try more than one of the range in the pub and to try 3. – buy 3 1/3 pints for the price of a pint, hopefully this will encourage customers to explore beyond their comfit zone and discover new Robinson’s beers.
SAMBROOKS BREWERY
Sambrook’s is delighted to announce the return of Beer by the River, its annual birthday celebration, on Saturday 30 August at the National Trust’s Morden Hall Park. To mark our sixth birthday we have launched a Home Brew Competition to find the best home brew in London and the South East.
Home brewers from across the region are invited to bring along their best bottled beer for sampling on the day. Beer by the River festival goers will be invited to sample and vote for their favourite beer before an expert panel of judges selects the winner from a shortlist of the most popular beers on the day.
The winner will have the chance to brew their beer with the team at Sambrook’s Brewery and launch it at pubs throughout London during Cask Ale Week. It will also be bottled and served in National Trust properties throughout the South East.
SHEPHERD NEAME
* Launch event with tutored tasting on 25 Sept
* Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight
* Promotion – social media/facebook/twitter/blogs
* POS – pump crowners, possibly bunting
* Menu/dishes to match cask beers and special beer – Tallyman’s Special (green hop beer)
* Brewery tasting events and KGHBF events
* PR- press,radio, TV – press release and all the KGHBF PR
http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/blog
@shepheardneame @spitfireale
ST AUSTELL
St Austell is opening their brewery Saturday 27th September – free tours for the general public. Heavitree running with the free pint of Tribute promotion, there will be a feature running in the Express & Echo and Mid Devon Advertiser both as full page spreads advertising the pubs. The Eden Project will also be holding their annual beer festival on Saturday 4th October they will be having numerous guest speakers throughout the day from brewers, Hop growers etc.
THWAITES
* Launch event with tutored tasting on 25.9
* Beer Festival in Thwaites 75 best cask T& L pubs
* Promotion – Wainwright fronting activity with the call to action of Step Up to Cask
* POS – What’s On Activity calendar chart
* Third pint glasses available with tasting boards
* Menu/dishes to match cask beers
* @Daniel_Thwaites @Wainwrightale
TIMOTHY TAYLOR
To celebrate the launch of Cask Ale Week 2014, Timothy Taylors are hosting a beer and cheese sampling session at the Town Hall Tavern, Leeds on Thursday 25th September from 6pm to 7.30pm. A range of Timothy Taylors beers will be available matched with local cheeses supplied by Cryer and Stott . Beer Sommelier Annabel Smith will talk customers through the beer and cheese matches, and customers have the opportunity to meet the head brewer from Timothy Taylors, Peter Eels. This is an informal event and entrance is free, so come along, enjoy the unique taste of some of Yorkshire’s finest beer, and meet the experts!
WADWORTH
Wadworth’s is proud to be supporting Cask Ale Week specifically in our Managed House Estate this year with a creative approach. In addition to a taster paddle promotion and try-before-you-buy proactivity, there will be a ‘create your own beer’ competition. Cask Ale drinkers are being asked to create an ale recipe and name, and the winning entry will be brewed and sold throughout the Managed House Estate during Cask Ale Week. Judging will be carried out by our Head Brewer, Managed House Operations Manager and Product Marketing Manager and the winner will be invited to come in and assist with brewing the beer. Point of sale and recipe cards will be available throughout Managed House during August.
WETHERSPOONS
Beer Festivals in Pubs
WICKWAR BREWING COMPANY:
Open day Saturday 27th September from 10 am – 4 pm at The Old Brewery, Station Road, Wickwar, GL12 8NB
Free brewery tours available throughout the day and special offers in the brewery shop.
Wickwar Pubs:
White Lion, Quay Head, Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 1EB: Beer Festival 26th-28th September
Downend Tavern, 125 Downend Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 5BE: Beer & Cider Festival 26th-28th September
Special Beer: They will also be producing a one off real ale for the week which will be available in all of their pubs and brewery shop.
WOODFORDE’S
Brewers tutored tasting events
CAMRA EVENTS
CAMRA North Manchester branch
Nine Breweries in a Night! Visiting every brewery in the Branch area
Venues: Holt’s, Boggart, Hyde’s Beer Studio, Seven Brothers First Chop, Star, Runaway, BlackJack, Marble
Date: Wednesday 24th September
Time: Tour starts from Stevenson Square, Manchester at 18.00
Booking required: Contact Robin Bence ([email protected]) or text 0780 822 8148
Cost: £5 each
Further information: northmanchester.camra.org.uk
Twitter: @thenoblerobin