Pub Business

Morning Advertiser's Pub Business takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on May 20 and 21. Beer and food expert and TV presenter Richard Fox will be leading a number of beer and food-matching sessions with PubChef. Richard offers some beer and food-matching tips:

What can visitors expect to see at Pub Business?

I will be giving practical, interactive demonstrations of food and beer- matching with plenty of inspiring tips to wow customers. Visitors will get the chance to sample a number of ingredients with perfectly matched beers. The beers I have chosen are widely available. Beer and food-matching is not a complicated operation — I believe licensees can learn a lot in 30 minutes.

Compared to wine, how versatile is beer?

I think beer has great versatility. It has a far wider spectrum of flavour variation than people imagine and it matches easily with many foods that wine struggles with, such as salads and chocolate.

Can licensees profit from matching beer with food?

Absolutely. With the right approach, it can increase a customer's average spend and offer greater customer choice.

What advice would you give licensees thinking about introducing a beer menu to complement their food offering?

Consult with a regional speciality beer supplier and set up staff tastings. Staff must be knowledgeable, able to help customers and answer questions confidently. It's important to get everybody who works in your pub on board. Your beer supplier should work with you to prepare tasting notes to promote alongside your food and wine menus and on blackboards. For more information on the show visit

www.pubbusiness.co.uk