Beer and food matching: Relationship issues
Beer's relationship with food is changing and its status is now rivalling that of wine at the dining table, believes Richard Fox, one of the regular members of The Publican's beer and food panel.
"A good deal of wine is designed to be enjoyed on its own and the intense fruitiness of some New World wines, without a balancing acidity, means that they are not well suited to food."
Unlike wine, beer has caramelised flavours and can be matched in a unique way with foods that possess those flavour elements. This makes speciality beers and ales natural partners with food, Richard believes.
"Speciality beers have a wonderful natural balance and there is a huge variety available, enabling them to combine well with a wide range of foods," he says.
"As speciality beers and the pairing of regional ales with food grow in popularity, pubs can take advantage by adapting their offering but there are other reasons to review the menu.
"The type of food we are eating is changing - some 15 years ago, the popular style of food was French bistro-type cooking but now we have moved back to regional cooking, often using ingredients from local artisan producers because people want local produce. Now we're gravitating to traditional British dishes and it makes sense to match them with the beer that complements them, for example slow roast belly pork with garlic mash matched with a fruity firmly-hopped beer such as Leffe Blonde."
Ken Valledy, marketing manager for speciality beers at InBev UK, says: "By embracing beer as a food accompaniment, retailers open up a whole new world of flavours which can add a new dimension to the menu.
"Combining beer with food also helps drive beer sales as it gives consumers who don't, for example, want wine with their meal an alternative to having a soft drink," he explains. "Attitudes have certainly changed over the last couple of years due, in part, to the huge growth in speciality beers but retailers still have an important role to play in recommending beer, thereby showing consumers that it's an acceptable drink to have with a meal."
Ken believes speciality beers are a good place to start beer and food matching because:
- these beers have flavours which complement food particularly well
- they're already seen by customers as 'a bit special'
- they taste very different to other beers
- served in crafted, branded glassware, they add to the experience of enjoying a meal out.
In terms of building beer sales, speciality beers can command a significant premium over other beers and, with value sales up 16.7 per cent compared to this time last year, they represent a major sales opportunity.
"Hoegaarden, which brilliantly complements seafood and spicy Asian dishes, is one of the best known speciality beers so retailers could start by recommending it as an accompaniment to appropriate dishes, and even feature it on the menu alongside them," says Richard.
"Adding Leffe, which works with entirely different food - cured meats, chicken and also desserts such as crème brulee, enables retailers to build a valuable and straightforward beer with food offering, which can be extended as consumers buy into it."
Ken adds: "Encouraging customers to purchase beer with a meal will work best if staff are able to not only explain the beers available, but also why they work well with a particular dish. Staff training is crucial in conveying the message effectively and tastings with food for both front and back-of-house staff are a fundamental part of it."
Richard sums up: "Make sure that kitchen staff are fully involved in the tasting - they will have an opinion about which beers are likely to go well with foods they are preparing and they will welcome the chance to make recommendations."
