Beer & food focus: European matches
A pint of warm bitter and a soggy ploughman's is the traditional British way with beer and food, and so we tend to forget that our Continental cousins have been enjoying the gastronomic delights of beer for centuries.
From a wheat beer with mussels to a bratwurst washed down with a stein of lager, the European tradition is something a growing number of pubs and bars are embracing.InBev has a built-in advantage with Continental brands such as Leffe and Hoegaarden, and is working with operators to develop complementary food dishes to help develop food sales alongside its beers.
A classic Abbey beer such as Leffe Blonde matches with a wide range of foods. Grilled loin of pork and pan-fried steak are just two examples of meat dishes that work well with Blonde. Those in the know insist that darker cousin Leffe Brune is especially good when enjoyed with cocoa-rich chocolate.
Hoegaarden, the leading white beer, complements a variety of dishes, including fish and lightly spiced foods.
A recent initiative by the Marston's-owned Pitcher & Piano bar chain, in association with InBev UK, aimed to encourage head chefs to showcase their beer and food matching skills.
A Master Chef of the Year event set the task of creating a three-course meal, with each course linked to a speciality beer from the InBev stable.
The winner was John Guthrie, from the Newcastle-on-Tyne Pitcher & Piano, with a menu combining a warm chicken salad, fieldgreens, thyme and citrus matched with Franziskaner Kristallklar, followed by pan-roasted venison loin with braised red cabbage, gaufrette potatoes and gooseberry sauce, served with Hoegaarden Grand Cru. For dessert, John served Double Chocolate Cheesecake amaretti base and caramelised banana with Franziskaner Kristallklar.
Pitcher & Piano's food operations & development manager, John Cruse, says: "We are trying to promote the concept of beer and food matching with these competitions because we want to encourage more customers to have a glass of speciality beer as an alternative to wine when they are eating.
"One of the big things these events have changed is staff and management perceptions, which means they now talk to customers about having a speciality beer with their meal."
