Old Speckled Hen, part of Greene King Brewery, has launched a new permanent cask ale this month, Old Session Hen, following its successful retail launch last year.
Old Session Hen is a 3.4% easy-drinking ale with hints of tropical fruit flavours and a crisp, clean finish.
Introduced to the retail market last year, in bottle and can format, Old Session Hen ended 2024 as the top ale launch for volume for the year* and top five best new launch in the beer category in the off trade in terms of value**. With such a strong response from consumers, Greene King believes Old Session Hen is the ideal liquid to launch in cask to drive innovation in the category.
The “sessionable ale” style has been growing in popularity among consumers in both the on- and off-trade as drinkers seek an ale that is a lighter colour and can offer a lower ABV, particularly around the 3.4% ABV.
While many alcoholic products see a spike in sales during the warmer months, due to the better weather, golden cask ale particularly thrives. CGA OPMS data shows that golden ale’s share of the market grows significantly in the summer, and golden ale drinkers tend to visit venues more often and spend more, with 54% visiting at least weekly (compared to 46% of general drinkers) and spending £121 per month (vs. £108 for the average drinker) ***.
With more dwell time for guests and a potential increase in spend, a golden cask ale is a must-have for any bar in the summer and Old Session Hen is the ideal ale to introduce this year.
All new stockists who order Old Session Hen will receive a POS kit upon installation, including a premium pump clip, glassware, bar runners and drip mats. Greene King is passionate about creating strong partnerships and providing customers with the tools they need to succeed.
Kirsten Alexander, Brand Manager for the Hen family, said: “We wanted to continue building on the success of Old Session Hen and we thought there was an ideal opportunity to launch a cask version to give consumers the chance to enjoy this fantastic beer on the bar, and help outlets tap into the growing golden cask ale market.
“Our brewers have carefully crafted the recipe to create a light, fresh and fruity session beer at just 3.4.%, perfect for those who want a sessionable pint they can enjoy without compromising on flavour and refreshment.
“Our ultimate goal is to bring more people to the world of cask ale; it is such a wonderful tradition in British pubs and brewing and we think Old Session Hen perfectly complements our existing range of fantastic cask ales and offers something new and exciting from the ‘Hen’ family.”
Old Session Hen as a permanent cask ale is available to order now with Greene King. For more information or to order the cask ale go to: https://valueforvenues.co.uk/
-ENDS-
Data Source:
* Source: Greene King customised view of NielsenIQ Retail Measurement service. Incremental value for beer for a new product for the 52 weeks ending 28/12/2024, GB total Coverage. Copyright © 2025 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.
** Source: Greene King customised view of NielsenIQ Retail Measurement service. Incremental volume for beer for a new product for the 52 weeks ending 28/12/2024, GB total Coverage. Copyright © 2025 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.
*** CGA BRANDTRACK Q1 2022
For further information, please contact hollysmith@greeneking.co.uk.
Notes to editors
Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.
At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives’. That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 39,000 people across the group with four divisions: Greene King pubs, Destination Brands, Partnership and Ventures, and Brewing & Brands.
- Greene King pubs are located where people and communities come together; pubs enjoyed in cities, towns and villages throughout the country
- Destination Brands is a mixture of food and drink-led brands including Hungry Horse, Farmhouse Inns, Chef & Brewer, Flaming Grill and Wacky Warehouse
- Partnerships & Ventures includes Pub Partners, which runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive Franchise pubs, and our Ventures Brands which is made up of Metropolitan Pub Company, Hickory’s, Hotels Group and Crafted Pubs
- Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, brewed for the modern-day drinker.
Further images can be found here: https://we.tl/t-kbTabgJ5kK
For further information, please contact hollysmith@greeneking.co.uk.
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