James Clarke

Hook Norton’s brewery and pubs at heart of National Cask Ale Week activity

National Cask Ale Week – which ran from 29 March-5 April – has been hailed as a success by Hook Norton.

The brewer together with its independent pub tenants ran a week of activity promoting cask ale.

“National Cask Ale Week offered us an opportunity to promote real ale to a new audience in places we know best – our pubs and the brewery,” said Hook Norton Managing Director James Clarke.

The week kicked off with a ladies night at the brewery’s visitor centre in Oxfordshire. More than 60 women attended the Bring and Beer and they were treated to a tutored tasting of Hook Norton’s beers paired with different food dishes.

Throughout the week tastings were held in 10 of the company’s tenanted pubs with brewery staff supporting the licensees by leading a tutored tastings of the company’s beers.

The Hook Norton pubs taking part in National Cask Ale Week were: Red Lion, Ilmington; Coach & Horses, Banbury; Cherington Arms, Cherington; Eagle Tavern, Witney; George Hotel, Lower Brailes; Fox Hotel, Chipping Norton; New Inn, Abthorpe; Reindeer, Banbury; Kings Head, Napton on the Hill and the Coach & Horses, Shipston on Stour.

The week ended with an open day at the Hook Norton Brewery, which was attended by several hundred people. The visitors were able to enjoy tours of the brewery and tutored tastings of beers, which including food matchings.

Hook Norton Managing Director James Clarke said: “The week was a fantastic way to bring cask ale to a new audience. Cask ale is unique to pubs and there can be no better place to promote our national drink than in our pubs.

“The tutored tastings certainly persuaded people to give cask a try – and several people have said they are now converted to cask ale.

Hook Norton Brewery visitors Jody Pettet and Olivia Barnett enjoy a glass of Hooky Gold

“During Cask Ale Week we called on female drinkers to swap their regular tipple for a taste of real ale. Research by the national organizers of Cask Ale Week shows 44 per cent of women who actually taste cask ale go on to become regular or occasional drinkers of it and we certainly believe that we have converted some to the joys of cask.

“But we are not going to rest on our laurels, as a brewer we will continue to honour our national drink and encourage more people to drink it.”

More than £500 was raised for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research during the week.

 Jody Pettet said: “I don’t normally drink cask ale, but I think this is a fantastic initiative.” Her friend Olivia Barnett said she liked the way the beer was served in smaller measures in nice glasses rather than pints.