As pubs across the country prepare to celebrate Cask Ale Week, family brewers like Wadworth play a central role in keeping tradition alive while finding new ways to engage drinkers. With 150 years of heritage behind them, Wadworth has seen how cask can connect communities, bring people into pubs, and showcase the craft of brewing. We caught up with the team to hear their thoughts on how licensees can make the most of the campaign this year.
3 Top Tips for Cask Ale Week
Wadworth has been brewing beer in the Wiltshire market town of Devizes since 1875. Originally founded by Henry Alfred Wadworth, the business later passed to John Smith Bartholomew and is now in its fifth generation of Bartholomew family ownership. In 2023, the brewery invested in a state-of-the-art facility on Folly Road, allowing them to continue producing traditional Wadworth ales alongside their Folly Road craft beers for a changing market. Wadworth also runs over 140 pubs across the South and West of England.
1.What activities would you suggest running in Cask Ale Week?
Guided tastings are a great way to increase customers’ knowledge and appreciation of cask ales — both familiar beers and styles they may not have tried before. Offering a flight of three or four ales with tasting notes is another fun way to encourage exploration without committing to a full pint.
2. Can you give us food pairings for two of your beers?
The full-bodied, malty and fruity flavour of 6X, our flagship amber ale, pairs beautifully with mature Cheddar and a Ploughman’s lunch with granary bread and roasted red meat.
For something different, Swordfish, our rum-infused ale and recent winner of three World Beer Awards, pairs just as well with beef chilli as it does with indulgent desserts like crème brûlée, toffee cheesecake and tiramisu.
3. How do you market your beers in your pubs during Cask Ale Week?
This year Cask Ale Week coincides with our 150th anniversary. To celebrate, we’ll be serving a new seasonal ale — a full-bodied, copper-coloured bitter crafted with ingredients chosen by the public. We’ll be encouraging customers to enjoy it alongside our core range of cask ales.
Our pub teams are central to the experience, and we make sure they’re equipped to recommend beers to suit customer tastes. We’ve also launched a loyalty programme for our managed houses, with the Wadworth Rewards app giving guests access to offers and promotions throughout the week.
Closing Note
Wadworth’s approach shows how family brewers can balance heritage with innovation — creating new beers, fresh experiences, and digital connections, while still honouring the craft that defines cask ale. For licensees, it’s a reminder that Cask Ale Week isn’t just about celebrating beer, but about giving customers reasons to return, discover, and raise a glass together.