Barrel and Tap

UK Beer Debate 2018 - Part 3 of 3

The UK Beer Debate 2018 featured a panel made up of journalists, authors, brewers, bar and pub managers. Recorded live at Green Duck Beer Co in Stourbridge on the 2nd of December 2018.

The topic under discussion in part 3, is Cloudwater - Has a corner been turned?

Cask beer has come in for some bad press recently, with quality generally deteriorating and prices reaching a low point. Many young breweries have chosen to produce only keg, being able to ask a fair price for a quality product.

Craft beer is still a small percentage of overall beer sales in the UK though - if it's good quality, cask beer is a superb product! Are drinkers more prepared now to pay what a beer is worth, or are there still enough people wanting a 'pint at a price' to support the cheap '£50 a cask' brewers?

With Cloudwater announcing the return of their beers in cask, are we about to see an upturn in the quality and price for cask beer, and could that at last see the demise of poorly kept, poorly produced cheap beers?


Man in charge - Tony Lewis Chief commercial officer for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)

Wilf Nelson - MD and founder Salopian Brewery
Iain Clarke - Wild Weather Ales
Lally Morrison - Until recently, Head Brewer at Mad Hatter Brewing now at Glen Affric Brewery
Roberto Ross - Currently event organiser at Green duck Beer, also runs Roberto's tasting club among many other things!
Jaega Wise - Brewer, writer and currently a SIBA regional Director
Roger Protz - British writer, journalist and campaigner
Sam McGarrigle - Owner of Beer Dock bars at Crewe, Leek and Nantwich
Pete Brown - Renowned Journalist and Author


Event organised by Sue Hayward

Sam takes a 50pint Keg of Ale!

Sam stubbs, previously seen on such videos as...well need i say ;) He finds a barrel of boddingtons, and we poar it over him. Sorry for the poor quality, i didn't film it.