What the Cask Marque plaque on a pub door actually means
Many British pubs, the Old White Hart among them in the 2010s, display a Cask Marque plaque by the door. It is a quality badge for cask ale, and it is earned rather than bought.
Who runs it
Cask Marque is an independent accreditation scheme funded by brewers, pub groups and trade bodies. Its assessors are qualified brewers with experience of beer and cellar management.
How a pub is checked
- Unannounced visits: an assessor visits at least twice a year without warning.
- Every cask beer is tested for temperature (with a calibrated thermometer), appearance, aroma and taste. Haze counts against a beer unless it is brewed to be cloudy.
- All beers must pass: one poor beer is enough to fail the visit.
- Cellar rating: since 2023 assessors also rate the cellar (temperature, stock rotation, gas safety, clean lines and glassware), and pubs scoring four or five stars can display a window sticker.
What it tells you
A plaque means the pub's cask beer passed independent checks recently. It says nothing about food, service or price, and the details of the scheme change over time, so check the official site for the current rules.