Pub cooking is gastronomic-ale!

Spirit Group chefs have boosted sales of Belgian beers in gastropubs. Ben McFarland, knife and fork in hand, finds out how.

There are few brewers that, fed-up with wine hogging the dinner table, haven't embarked on some kind of initiative designed to twin grub with the grain not the grape.

Matching beer with food is all the rage at the moment. While attempts to dislodge wine as the default accompaniment to food vary in success (some would say tasting notes on a can of Carling is a step too far, albeit in the right direction), beer has done little to challenge wine's dominance in the kitchen.

It tends to be the wine not the beer bottle that pub chefs turn to when in need of a bit of flavour and "oomph" in a dish.

However, there is one pub company looking to take beer in cooking beyond staple pub fare such as steak and Guinness pie or beer-battered fish and chips.

Spirit Group, which owns just over 1,000 outlets, recently launched a food and beer initiative in its gastropub division in conjunction with Belgian beer specialist Turnkey Drinks.

Turnkey has recently gained listings in Spirit outlets with its Affligem Blonde beer, a six per cent hoppy Abbey brew from Flanders, and Wieckse Witte, a wheat beer akin to Hoegaarden, and in an attempt to drive throughput during the post-Christmas lull, offered chefs an incentive-related scheme to boost sales through food.

Over a four-week period, the chefs were armed with the task of creating a new dish every two to three days that used either Affligem or Wieckse Witte as one of the principal ingredients.

The chefs were given a brief yet inspirational presentation on the benefits of cooking certain styles of dishes with various beers by Marc Stroobandt, a Belgian beer guru who works closely with importer Cave Direct. The barstaff and waiters were then instructed to upsell where possible and encourage drinkers to try the food and diners to try the beers.

A slap-up meal for two and a case of Belgian beers was then awarded to the pub that achieved the highest grub-inspired sales of either Affligem or Wieckse Witte.

"What inspired the idea was the beer," said Peter O'Sullivan, development chef at Spirit Group. "It's a quality beer that fits very well in a food-driven gastropub and we wanted to find a new way of promoting these different beers in a way that will appeal to our customers.

"As well as getting our staff to upsell, the customers were offered a special price on either beer when they ordered a dish made with either Affligem or Wieckse Witte."

It seemed to do the trick. Sales of Affligem in the winning pub, the Coach in Greenwich, grew from around half a barrel to nine barrels a week.

Having dabbled with various concoctions in their respective kitchens, the eight chefs were then assembled to take part in a cook-off at the Barley Mow pub in the Docklands, London, with a trip for two to Belgium up for grabs.

A food panel of judges, including yours truly, was assembled to taste, deliberate, cogitate - and, given half a chance, taste again - a dazzling array of dishes that ranged from sorbet to seared venison.

The experienced chefs were also, er, grilled about why they chose the dish, how the beer was incorporated and the problems faced in comparison with wine.

Matt Fosker from the Prince Alfred in Maida Vale, whose lamb shank braised in Affligem with wilted baby gem leaves and honey glazed carrots was a firm favourite among the panel, admitted that his traditional French training had been almost entirely based on wine.

"With beer you have to be more delicate and you must be very careful when you reduce it as it can turn extremely bitter," he said.

"I think this is the way forward. We have always turned to wine but now, with beers available from all over the world, there's more choice and opportunity to experiment with different styles.

"We can be very tunnel-visioned when it comes to cooking with beer - we need to move away from just cooking with Guinness."

Colin Frew of the Firestables in Wimbledon Village, definitely played to the crowd, offering a delicious Belgian favourite - a stuffed saddle of rabbit with wild mushrooms and Wieckse Witte. Marc Stroobandt, a fellow judge, met its arrival on the table with a knowing smile.

"Beer could definitely be used more," said Colin. "Chefs tend to just substitute wine with beer but I think you can be a lot more inventive."

Ian Noble of the Dovedale House in Battersea, a man responsible for a very tasty Asian fish broth made with Wieckse Witte, agreed.

"I don't think beer is used enough - it's just as complex as wine and I think its undervalued. It's harder to work with but when you get it right it really brings out the flavour in both the beer and the food."

Choosing who was Belgium-bound was a difficult choice but the prize went to Peter Mills of the Coach in Greenwich, whose Affligem ice-cream with a hot chocolate fondant got a unanimous thumbs up from the panel's taste buds.

It tasted as good as it looked and of all the dishes, the panel felt that the use of a hoppy Belgian beer in an ice cream is most likely to raise eyebrows among those who think beer is not welcome in the kitchen.

The entries​

Proof that licensees can do more than steak and Guinness pie when it comes to cooking food with beer... the entries were:

• Matt Fosker, the Prince Alfred in Maida Vale, North London​
  New season lamb shank braised in Affligem with wilted baby gem leaves, Affligem and honey glazed carrots, pomme fondant and confit of garlic.

Colin Frew, the Firestables in Wimbledon Village, South West London​
Stuffed saddle of rabbit with wild mushrooms, onion, tarragon and rabbit's liver and Wieckse Witte.

Matt Platt, the Duck in Marylebone, London​
Seared venison with Jerusalem artichokes, sweet potato, fennel, Affligem damper and pebronata sauce.

Andy Hemmingway, the Weyside in Guildford, Surrey​
Lobster poached in Wieckse Witte and coriander.

Richard Tramner, the Narrow Street pub and dining room in Limehouse, East London​
Lobster and mussel ravioli with salmon mousse, Thai asparagus, red pepper oil and Wieckse Witte.

Ian Noble, the Dovedale House in Battersea, South London​
Thai fish broth with bok choi, coriander and Wieckse Witte.

Peter Mills, the Coach in Greenwich, East London​
Ice cream parfait flavoured with Affligem, vanilla, hot chocolate fondant and a coconut wafer.

Ross Edger of the V and A in Edinburgh, Scotland​
Wieckse Witte sorbet in a chocolate cup.