London breweries compete to create beer for top chef
Five breweries have been shortlisted as finalists in a competition to create a ‘Roux Brew’, a special ‘house’ beer to be paired with summer dishes at the two Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche, Roux at Parliament Square and Roux at the Landau.
The finalists are Brew by Numbers, By the Horns, Four Pure, Hackney and Windsor & Eton.
Breweries in the London Brewers Alliance (LBA) were invited to compete. Entrants also included Fuller’s, Partizan, Head in a Hat, By the Horns, ELB, Crate, Moncada, Redemption, Bright Brew, London Beer Lab, Signature Brew, W&E and London Brewing Co.
Chefs Michel Roux Jr and Albert Roux, head sommelier at Le Gavroche David Galetti and MasterChef presenter Greg Wallace will be selecting the winning beer which will be listed at the restaurants from April until the end of September. The beers will all be blind tested.
Criteria
The beers are bottled and unpasteurised, with a strength between 4.5% and 7.5% and could be of any style to best accompany Le Gavroche’s summertime menu.
Le Gavroche was among the first quality restaurants to establish a beer list. This has 17 choices including Butcombe Brewery Rare Breed West Country; Fuller’s Honey Dew and Innis & Gunn oak-aged beer.
A competition for a second brew for winter menus is planned for the autumn.
Michel Roux Jr is keen to expand that choice and to promote the matching of beer and food in his restaurants.
Michel comments: "I am fascinated by flavour and, though I love tradition, I am eager that brewers should really push the boat out with their choice of ingredients."
The winner will be announced this Friday, 7 March at Roux at Parliament Square in London.
