B&K reports 5.3% lfl cask sales boost

The business also reported growth in all its own-brewed beer volumes, which now account for just under 50% of its total beverage sales.

B&K has put the success down to a number of factors including a recent rebrand of its own-brewed beers, which helped the company win an award for Best New/Improved Visual Identity in the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator awards; a revised operational focus on growing own-brewed beer sales supported through a new training and reporting programme; and the fine-tuning of its seasonal cask and keg beer schedule.

Fresh and interesting

The schedule ensures the range remains fresh and interesting, highlighted by B&K with the statistic citing lfl sales of seasonal beers were up 220% in the last quarter of 2022.

B&K chief executive Kris Gumbrell said: “It’s extremely satisfying to see the growth in our own-brewed beer volume – particularly with cask beer sales as this is true reflection of the high quality of beer that our brewers produce.

“Brewing exceptional craft beers on site, many of which have won national and international awards, also allows us an element of margin resilience, which in turns allows us to better provide affordability for our guests in terms of the various price increases we’re seeing across the industry, without a compromise on range or quality.”

‘Experiences’ up

The group has also seen an 18% lift in lfl sales of B&K experiences, primarily due to its signature Brewery Experience Day and recently introduced Whisky & Beer Pairing Masterclass during January.

Marketing and brand director Matt Preisinger added: “It’s fantastic to continue our trend in achieving double-digit growth on the experience side of our business.

“Nurturing the knowledge and passion of our team allows us to deliver fun and informative experiences and ensures B&K remains a pioneering force in the ever important experience market.”