Beer and food matching: Local pride

Consumers, it seems, love the idea of local produce, and many pub groups are making the most of this opportunity when developing menus. But what part is beer playing in this revolution? Surely beer, so intrinsic to a pub's trade, should be equally important in the local equation as food.

Yet there hasn't been nearly as much passion for promoting local beer as there has been for promoting local food. This is despite the proven merits of beer and food matching, and the clear demand for beers associated with an area.

The Campaign for Real Ale's CAMRA most recent annual survey demonstrated that 23 per cent of adults were more likely to visit a pub that sold at least one local beer. There are brewers that have made a big push to promote local beers.

Shepherd Neame promotes Kentish beer and food on pub menus and offers local beer and food matching under its 'Local Food from Local People' initiative. Licensees in Lancashire brewer Thwaites' estate are equipped with a Beer with Food Recipe Book, which gathers together dishes involving local foodstuffs and Thwaites' beers. Both schemes have apparently met with real success.

The Publican ​asked whether beer could do more to tap into its English heritage. Can beer benefit from the craze for food of local provenance?

"There is a massive opportunity to use our main product, beer, in cooking and to be able in pubs to promote both local products," says Thwaites catering development manager Judi Houghton, author of the Beer with Food Recipe Book and a former winner of the Pub Food Awards Food Champion title.

Dishes from the recipe book are mainstays on specials boards across Thwaites' estate. "Everyone has chalkboards," says Judy, "but this is a point of difference to the pub up the road.

"Customers like to know where what they are eating and drinking comes from. Being able to stick with tradition, rather than being a modern, faceless organisation, is back in vogue."

Food from Britain regional food and drink manager Kirsty Grieve points out the difficulty some pubs have in stocking regional beers, due to the tie. She commends CAMRA's guest ale campaign as a measure that should allow pubs more scope to promote beers for which their area is known.

Is there scope for matching local beers with local food? "Certainly," says Shepherd Neame retail director Nigel Bunting. "Creating a completely regional offering allows consumers to buy into the unique flavour of the region.

"This appeals to both tourists wishing to try regionally specific products and locals who enjoy supporting local producers."

Kirsty, likewise, believes matching local beers to local food is an ideal way to take advantage of the the local food opportunity. She points to the ease of pairing local beers with local cheeses, of which there are more than 700 varieties in Britain.

Is there a danger, in promoting beers as local, of turning off drinkers from outside the region?

With strong rivalries across geographical boundaries, some may wonder whether explicitly tying a product to one single area could cut down your appeal in others.

Thwaites and Shepherd Neame, however, don't fear this. Nigel says: "Consumers are becoming more educated about choosing products based on their provenance and enjoy trying a product made in the area they are visiting.

"There is also a feelgood factor to buying local products - they haven't travelled as far and are of the freshest quality."

Thwaites has more than 1,000 freetrade accounts, right down to the south coast - a fact that points to regional rivalry not being as decisive as might be expected.