Your go-to guide for drinks

They’re the perfect guides for pub and club managers, as well as supermarket buyers who are keen to give customers what they really want. We asked 4,000 drinkers all about their buying habits and what they’d love to see on the bar.

View the Marston’s annual Off Trade and the Marston’s annual On Trade report, or see our top takeaways below:

• The perfect range means having an amber, gold, dark and IPA beer on the bar
• Customers want to see well-known national brands they can trust
• Low and no-alcohol drinks will continue to be a top trend. Customers are on the hunt for low-alcohol and low-calorie alternatives without having to compromise on taste
• Craft beer has done huge things for cask ale! Everyone’s definition of craft is different and we’re seeing rising cask sales because many customers would define the beers as craft
• Pubs and bars should tap into the ‘weekend millionaire’ – in other words, the customer who seeks better experience for their money and is willing to spend more for high-quality, premium drinks
• Customers may be buying less but they are buying better quality
• It’s all about breadth not depth on the bar, so make sure there’s a world lager, a premium option and a classic one, too

To make the reports easier to digest, Thom Winter, On Trade Category Manager, gives the key messages in a series of bitesize videos where you can watch the full series.