Cask ‘the most authentic beer’ says Ossett Brewery
Yorkshire’s Ossett Brewery and sister company Salt are championing cask ale as part of its new era of beer leadership.
The independent breweries have appointed a fresh executive team to propel further growth across their beer offering in a move that will be supported by a full campaign.
The key appointments represent a full leadership change across the past two years, showing the company is adapting and evolving to look at its business more closely.
Edd Simpson, founder of Barrique Fine Wines, joined the brewery as managing director in 2023 and has now completed a transformation of the leadership team with the addition of Matt Howgate as production director and Rich Nelson as sales director.
Howgate joins Ossett from Vocation and according to Simpson brings “significant experience and a relentless focus on pushing operations forward and driving innovation; a strategy he will deliver in partnership with previous Vocation collaborator and Ossett’s new head of brewing, Gary Farlow”.
Nelson, who originally joined Ossett from Molson Coors and has been a pivotal player in the success of Salt to date, moves into the sales director role to “drive distribution” across key accounts.
Partner Content
Ossett founder Jamie Lawson, who has been with the business since 2002, still remains heavily involved and is also overseeing the reinvigoration of the business. Alongside the new team, there is set to be a fresh new proposition and cross-channel campaign that will be rolled out over the coming months.
Simpson explained: “Our challenge as a cask producer is to embrace evolution and innovation whilst retaining our strengths and legacy.”
Simpson added: “Cask is the most authentic beer in the market, steeped in heritage and with the strongest call to be considered premium craft. By using this foundation with a progressive mindset, I believe that cask beer has the potential to thrive, rather than survive in the beer market of the future; and as a team we’re beyond excited to be at the forefront of the resurgence of cask.”
A campaign to help cask ale gain UNESCO recognition is currently underway with the first step giving recognition of cask ale as “Living Heritage” by the UK government. From there, an application for the status with supporting academic research, industry and government support as well as evidence must be submitted.
Other breweries such as Yorkshire’s Theakston’s recently revealed how the business had grown its sales of cask ale while also seeing a turnover increase, plus breweries like Derbyshire brewer Thornbridge have brewed a new beer on Union set to keep cask ‘relevant’ and also secured a new site, named The Fargate, in the heart of Sheffield city centre, which will serve 10 cask beers to showcase cask ale at its best.
Kent-based Shepherd Neame also reaffirmed its commitment to cask recently along with Cornwall’s Verdant Brewing Co releasing its extra pale ale Lightbulb on cask last summer to “encourage a new generation to reappraise cask brews”.
Related news
The Castel Group rocked by Succession-style family rift
Carlsberg boosts presence in China with restaurant guide tie-up
