It's eat and drink for pubs

Brewers are hoping to tap into the pub food market by promoting beer as a refreshing alternative to wine at the table. Ben McFarland finds out more.

If, as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the wine trade must no doubt be fanning its blushes.

Several major brewers are treading in the footsteps of their wine counterparts by making a concerted effort to promote beer as a credible companion to a meal and challenge the notion that when you dine, it must be wine.

The meteoric growth of wine in the on-trade in recent years has been driven primarily by its close synergy with food and now brewers want a slice of what is becoming an increasingly lucrative pie.

Today's pub catering is a far cry from the days when rocket was something you went to space in, not threw in your salad, and all you could get with a pint was a packet of peanuts or a pork pie.

More than three-quarters of all pubs now offer their customers food, whether it be a light bar meal or serious gourmet grub to rival even the most swanky of restaurants.

Last year, The Publican Newspaper Pub Goers Survey, in association with Britvic, revealed that traditional perceptions of pub food are no longer prevalent.

Sixty per cent of drinkers rated pub food as good and 13 per cent regarded it as excellent while quality of food was top of the list of reasons when choosing a pub.

The increasing importance of food in pubs has not been lost on the big brewers who are feeling the pinch elsewhere.

The seemingly unstoppable march of premium packaged spirits (PPS) has been at the expense of the bottled lager sector while new single-serve wine formats has allowed it to encroach on beer's territory around the bar.

Recent research conducted by Coors as part of its established "Beer Reverence" programme revealed that there are less regular beer drinkers drinking less often than 20 years ago, and they are drinking less per average occasion.

However, this idea of drinking less but drinking better is the driving force behind the rise of the premium and speciality brands - the fastest growing area of the beer market - and it is these beers that are being used to spearhead the beer and food revolution.

Last year, Holsten UK launched Duckstein, a copper-gold speciality beer from Germany, in a table-friendly 500ml bottle - complete with a eloquent product description and tasting cues - as part of a determined drive to highlight the brand's compatibility with food.

"As consumers become more sophisticated and discerning in their choice of food, they are more willing to experiment with different meal accompaniments," said Geoff Bradman, sales director for Holsten.

"Wine is obviously very popular but there's a growing demand for alternatives such as speciality beers and lagers. Consumers are looking for greater choice and we believe a major opportunity exists for pubs to drive sales of speciality beers with food."

Likewise, Interbrew began to develop its links with food last year with the launch of larger one-litre bottles for both its Hoegaarden and Stella Artois brands.

A stemmed Stella branded restaurant glass was also introduced to replace the unwieldy traditional pint that does little to bring beer and food closer together.

Matthew Hand, Interbrew's director of sales for restaurants and food pubs, said: "Consumer barriers can be overcome with products and pack formats that facilitate beer's consumption outside of pubs. We believe there is an opportunity for retailers to achieve their objectives by focusing on beer and wine.

"Beer has many positives in its favour: it is more refreshing, informal, has an enormous consumer franchise and is the preferred but often thwarted choice on many occasions. Beer and wine tend to be stereotyped by their physical attributes, their traditional retail strongholds - pubs and restaurants respectively - and their price and presentation."

More often than not when you sit down for a meal, unless you're very near to the bar, it is very difficult to see what beers are on offer and Interbrew is urging publicans to do a lot more in terms of promoting beer at the table.

"This is the point at which the waiter takes over and imposes wine on the consumer," added Matthew. "Contemporary pubs that display beer merchandising or bottles can break down ordering habits. It is staggering the number of pubs that do not feature beer on a drinks list."

Brewers are also challenging the notion that the kind of eloquent language used to describe the grape can't do the same for the grain. Interbrew and Coors have both developed tasting notes for their brands in order to raise awareness of which beer suits which style of food.

However, Susan Nowak, author of The Beer Cook Book and Pub Superchefs, claims that the first rule when choosing a beer to go with your meal is... there are no rules.

She has, however, suggested a few broad outlines according to heaviness and strength where they might fit into a meal (see below).

Susan Nowak's The Beer Cook Book is available through Faber & Faber priced £9.99.​

Beer and food​

• Lagers, pilsners, wheat beers​
  These styles of brews suit more delicate fish such as sole, plaice and poached salmon as well as white meats such as chicken breast, pork or veal escalopes. They also complement vegetarian dishes like tomato flans and asparagus with hollandaise sauce, while clean stronger lagers and pilsners are also very good with curries.

• Lighter cask ales and bitters​
  Real ale enthusiasts should opt for fuller-flavoured chunky fish such as cod or haddock. Chicken and ham pie, milder cheeses, either raw or in a light cheese quiche or soufflé, fresh fruits and more delicate vegetable, fish or meat terrines are also great companions to these beers.

• Dark and light milds​
  A low alcohol content makes milds an ideal partner for dishes early in the meal such as chicken liver or mushroom pate and onion soup. A light mild can also go well with a bowl of bacon and spinach salad or savoury pancakes.