Small breweries face beer boom
Small breweries are booming even as main brand beer makers struggle, according to a leading expert on the drinks industry.
Beer writer Pete Brown said the announcement that drinks giant Carlsberg is closing its Leeds brewery masked a brighter future for micro-breweries.
Mr Brown, the author of The Intelligent Choice: The definitive guide to the cask ale market, said: "Over the last 40 years there has been a move to lager and international lager brands and that has moved away from ale.
"But my recent report on the future of the cask ale industry shows ale is making a comeback."
However, Mr Brown said the introduction of tax breaks for micro-breweries has caused an explosion in businesses producing small amounts of beer every year.
He said: "It is also connected with consumer trends in food and drink that favour real ale. People want more complex interesting flavours now.
"You have a situation where we have 35 pubs closing a week in the UK but if you go to pubs with decent ale they are booming."
According to figures from the Society of Independent Brewers, sales of cask ale rose by 8% in the first half of this year.
Copyright © Press Association 2008
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