Ei Group, the UK’s largest pub company, and Cask Marque have teamed-up to create the Great British Pub Ale Trails and drive footfall from customers seeking a top-quality range of well-kept beers.
Some 56 Ei Group pubs are spread across eight trails in York (six pubs), Huddersfield (10), Manchester (6), Cheltenham (5), Bristol (6), Twickenham (8), Fulham (6), and City of London (9). They have been selected because they are all Cask Marque-accredited venues, and in each location are all within walking distance of one another.
The pubs are drawn from across the company’s Ei Publican Partnerships estate and Bermondsey Pub Company, part of Ei Managed Operations. They all feature on Cask Marque’s mobile app, CaskFinder, through which customers can claim a free gift for each trail completed.
Ei Group will encourage its publicans to promote their involvement in the Great British Ale Trails on their social media platforms, with Cask Marque also highlighting the initiative on its various social platforms.
Paul Harbottle, Group Commercial Director at Ei Group, said: “Consumers these days are switched-on and quite rightly demand that when they visit pubs, they want beer served at its very best. Working closely with Cask Marque, and having Ei Group pubs included in these new ale trails, means our publicans have the opportunity to attract drinkers searching for quality beer, and the chance to showcase their offer to new groups of customers.”
Jonathan Olds, Cask Marque Head of Sales – South, added: “More and more consumers are actively seeking pubs that are accredited by us, and beer quality is top of their agenda once they arrive. Ale trails are becoming increasingly popular as a result, with people enjoying them with friends, while on holiday, and forming groups to tackle city centre trails.
“Cask Marque is all about driving beer quality in pubs, and Ei Group recognises that serving quality pints is one of the biggest commercial gains available right now. Pubs cannot afford to serve poor quality beer, because it damages their reputation and risks losing repeat trade.”
The Ei Group Great British Pubs Ale Trails are:
- York: Black Swan, Blue Boar, Exhibition Hotel, Snickleway Inn, Terrace, Golden Fleece
- Huddersfield: Foresters Arms, Foresters Arms, Red Lion, Rising Sun, Royal Oak, Sands House Inn, Waggon & Horses, Wooldale Arms, Woolpack, County
- Manchester: Crafty Pig, English Lounge, Metropolitan, Oxnoble, Town Hall Tavern, Waldorf
- Cheltenham: Beehive, London Inn, Royal, Suffolk Arms, Merryfellow
- Bristol : Beehive, Gloucester Old Spot, Shakespeare, Spotted Cow, Ship Inn, Prince of Wales
- Twickenham: Clockhouse, La Cloche at The Lion, Railway, Star, Fox, Europa, Royal Oak, Royal Oak
- Fulham: The Rose, Eight Bells, Rylston, Chancellors, The Earl Spencer, Country House
- City of London: Easton, Dog & Truck, Hope, Marquis of Wellington, St James of Bermondsey, Three Tuns, Oliver Conquest, Three Kings, Bell