Beer and food: Mix and match
'Beer and food matching' is a buzz phrase in the trade right now, as Phil Mellows reports.
Linking beer and food is often hailed as the inspired idea that is going to give the national drink the lift it so deserves. It's hardly a new invention though, and while all the fancy matching that's going on might be good for the image, many pubs can feel a little left out.
Finding ways of enhancing beer and food sales together is not just for the gastropub, however. Even if you serve only the most basic bar food, putting a bit of thought into what might fit a specific occasion can make a difference.
As consumers move away from the conventional three-course meal to smaller, more varied dishes, pubs are following the trend and providing combinations of more unusual flavours in smaller portions. Food in pubs is also increasingly being tailored to specific occasions, for example, bar snacks and finger foods as accompaniments to live sports screenings.
Theme nights also give licensees the chance to offer different speciality beers with different dishes, while the growth in pub barbecues offers yet another opportunity to boost beer sales.
With all this in mind, beer and food is going to be a powerful combination at this year's Pub & Bar show. The Beer Academy, in conjunction with the Beautiful Beer programme, will be running a series of talks and tastings that include an introduction to the basic principles of beer and food matching.
Celebrity chef Ben Bartlett, too, will have a variety of international bottled beers and cask ales to taste as he demonstrates barbecue cooking while Pieminster's "Pies & Pints" initiative, being launched at the show, makes its intentions clear.
The 2006 Pub & Bar Show will be held at London's Olympia from April 11 to 13. For free visitor tickets call 01923 690642 or visit www.pubandbar.co.uk.
You don't need gourmet foods and speciality beers to make a match. Darran Britton, marketing director for Carlsberg UK recommends: "Carlsberg itself to accompany a post-football curry, Tetley's Bitter with the Sunday roast, pie and mash or toad-in-the-hole. Holsten Pils goes down well with stir-frys and Carlsberg Export is the perfect accompaniment to pizza!"
