Seeing the

light When it comes to having a drink with your meal, beer is emerging as a popular alternative to wine, reports Sally Bairstow What's in your beef and ale pie?, a prospective diner asked the landlord. "Which word are you having a problem with", was the retort. Despite this exchange, beer and food are natural and perfect accompaniments, whether it's having a glass of fermented barley, malt and hops to enjoy with your meal, or using beer as an ingredient in recipes. But there is so much more to this pairing than washing down a late-night vindaloo with pint after pint of lager. More and more people are choosing to eat out of the home, and wine sales have been soaring at the expense of beer. Brewers are battling to turn the tide and once again make the pub the natural choice when it comes to a pint and a bite to eat. The fact that people want a more easy-going eating-out experience these days adds more sparkle to the case for beer with food. Interbrew UK's director of sales, restaurants and food pubs, Matthew Hand, explains: "Our research shows that beer is perceived as less formal, more sociable, more relaxed and refreshing than wine ­ and is therefore relevant across the range of meal occasions. The majority of eating-out occasions, some 77%, are non-formal and particularly well suited to beer. More retailers are now recognising the commercial opportunity of building the beer/food link." Consumers' desire to experiment with a wide range of flavours and styles is not confined to food and wine ­ it's just as important in the beer world. And brewers are out to help licensees make the most of selling beer as a meal companion. Many are producing tasting notes and making suggestions about which beer suits which food. The demand for speciality beers when people are eating out for a special occasion is growing too. Selling beer with food instead of wine is one of the great untapped opportunities for licensees. Badger Ales marketing manager Rick Payne says it is one of the largest-growing opportunities in the industry, because most consumers are unaware that beer can be a more refreshing accompaniment to food than wine. Badger has worked with consultant chef Tony O'Reilly, development chef for British Meat, to create menus for a number of Hall & Woodhouse pubs that will match Badger ales with each of the dishes. Payne adds: "Our collaboration with Tony O'Reilly to produce some delicious recipes will help consumers to recognise that a glass of Badger at the table is just as appealing as a glass of wine. This year we will concentrate on contemporary dishes with Badger beer." Holsten UK on-trade sales director Simon Treanor says that as consumers become more sophisticated and discerning in their choice of food, they are "more willing to experiment with different meal accompaniments". Consumers are also eating out more frequently (up 6% compared to last year, according to the Market Pocket Book 2001) and looking for a drink to match the occasion. Treanor adds: "Wine is obviously very popular, but there's growing demand for alternatives such as speciality beers and lagers. Consumers are looking for greater choice and we believe a major opportunity exists for publicans to drive sales of speciality beer with food dishes." Holsten is putting its money where its mouth is and promoting premium speciality German bier Duckstein as a great food match. The lager nullifies fat, oil and salt to refresh the palate and allow the true flavour of the food to come through. Research from Brewing Research International (December 2001) found Duckstein was compatible with different food styles. It found the lager works well with British dishes as it enhances the herbs, spices and meat flavours by overpowering the simpler flavours. At the same time, it can cut through the saltiness of Tex Mex or cool the heat of hot and spicy dishes. An added bonus is the beer has a low gas content and does not make diners feel bloated. Holsten is targeting the brand at the more affluent drinker. The beer is served in 500ml bottles with an authentic seal to increase the sense of occasion. The bottle shape also increases shelf impact and gives it an air of quality. Treanor adds that Holsten's research into beer with food shows that brands like Duckstein will be "sought after by increas-ing numbers of quality-conscious consumers, who are prepared to pay a premium price for speciality products". Late last year, Greene King launched its "Beer to dine for" campaign, teaming up with celebrity chef Ed Baines to put beer firmly back on dining tables. Capitalising on the demand for larger bottle sizes for diners, Greene King now has 750ml Old Speckled Hen and 660ml IPA available nationally. Tasting notes will be featured on the bottle labels. The Suffolk brewer is also building on last year's launch with a series of ale and food appreciation evenings to run in free trade outlets in February and March. In addition, free trade bespoke menus and support packages are being produced for high-quality, food-led outlets. Licensee Tony Eaves, from the Black Swan at Homersfield in Suffolk, is making the most of the "Beer to dine for" support package. He says: "We are adding beer-tasting notes to our wine menu and are offering food recommendations against beers. It has taken only two weeks from this initial meeting with Greene King to turn this food and beer concept into reality." He's looking forward to measuring customers' responses to the new initiative from late February. Not surprisingly, GK's New English Inns brand is taking up the campaign. Brand manager, Jamie Quig-gin explains: "New English Inns totally supports the proposition of drinking beer with food and our aim is to deliver English food on a plate. What better way to accompany good English food than with a real ale." Learning lessons from Europe is one way in which Britain's oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame, is out to turn the tables on wine. Mark McJennett, sales and marketing director, explains: "We are keen to encourage the Belgian café culture where people drink delicious beers in interesting glasses, regularly visit the pub, and don't think twice about ordering it with food. It's all about changing when, who with and where consumers are drinking beer." Sheps is promoting its Whitstable Bay bottled organic ale as a table beer in 10 of its managed houses, with new glassware, PoS material and brochures to educate customers about why beer and food are good matches. Pack style and size, plus glassware are also important in building the beer and food link. The beloved pint is even under evaluation as the 330ml bottle is what some customers favour. McJennett says brewers have now "seen the light" in terms of beer and food, and consumers need a reason to switch from wine. He adds: "We have to take a lead from the continent in this respect and look at the way beer is dispensed in western Europe, the kind the glass we should use, and the kind of occasion during which it is dispensed. In essence, beer has to become more sexy." Currently, Sheps is hosting a series of beer dinners, working out flavour combinations and looking at the presentation of its brews to drive the beer and food relationship forward. Interbrew's Hand insists it is good profit-making sense to pair beer and food. "Consumers are often reluctant to drink wine by the glass due to concerns about quality and value for money. "This means they will often drink beer on occasions when sharing a whole wine bottle would be inappropriate, for example, at lunchtime." Time restraints and wanting to limit the number of alcohol units also impacts on people's drinking choices. Hand adds: "Beer's variety of formats means it can be consumed in more acceptable volumes and it doesn't have the one bottle threshold' ­ so it's perfect for upselling. "Many outlets will make a similar or higher gross profit on beer than wine and this is especially true of speciality beers, which on average have a retail price of £1 more than premium lager." Interbrew estimates that for a pub serving 100 covers a day, an incremental glass of Leffe to 30% of diners wou