The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) is getting behind this year’s National Cask Ale Week with a support package worth £40,000. This includes free promotional packs – worth £30 each – to 1,000 pubs on SIBA’s Direct Delivery Scheme (DDS), which will be offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis next month.  

National Cask Ale Week 2010 runs from 29 March – 5 April, and will be supported with a national marketing campaign designed to bring customers into pubs to try cask ale.  The promotional kits for DDS pubs contain bunting, flags, drip mats, posters and SIBA-branded banners. Last year, around 8,500 pubs took part in Cask Ale Week.  Cask ale sales grew by 27% over the week and total sales in participating pubs grew by 5%.

SIBA commercial director Nick Stafford comments, “We are delighted to be helping a number of our customer pubs make the most of National Cask Ale Week. Some 85% of the beer brewed by SIBA brewers is cask ale, so we are supportive of anything that encourages people to try our national drink and are confident that National Cask Ale Week will deliver an impressive sales uplift for our members’ beers.” 

In addition to its support for DDS pubs, SIBA will be encouraging its 450 member brewers to make the most of the opportunities around Cask Ale Week with brewery tours, tastings and beer and food matching.

Pubs on SIBA’s DDS scheme can order their free National Cask Ale Week promotional pack by contacting the DDS Office 01765 640441. Packs will be distributed in March.