Match points

As Beer With Food WEek approaches, Susan Nowak suggests some simple ways your pub could take part.

We go into this year's Beer With Food Week in the happy - or

should that be hoppy? - certainty that the pleasure of pairing dishes with the hop instead of the grape really has taken off since last year's inaugural week.

Pubs, breweries, restaurants and chefs have woken up to the potential of beer with food, and even the public is beginning to see that a beautifully crafted beer can be the perfect pair for almost any dish.

Last month PubChef's parent title, the Morning Advertiser and brewer Greene King held "a bit of a do" to launch this year's celebration - from 2 to 8 April - and you can do the same during the week itself.

Many pubs are planning to put beer cookery on the menu and suggest beers to accompany meals during the week. Another way is to hold a one-off special event, and there are all sorts of options.

Offer customers tutored tastings​

You could sell tickets for a beer meal with a tutored beer tasting. Design a three-course menu of dishes cooked with beer and accompanied by beer, then get an expert to introduce the beer before each course.

One way is to use beers from your local brewery, or the brewery your pub is tied to, and invite the head brewer to do the tasting. It's amazing how many different dishes can be matched to the beers from just one brewery. At the launch three producers (Greene King, Cains and Black Sheep) each suggested a beer for every course and a cheese board so we could compare options from IPA and lager to a rich raisin ale.

You could showcase beers across the board by getting in bottled beers so you can include styles from wheat beer to porter and fruit beer. Ask your local CAMRA branch for an enthusiast to lead the tasting. Another option is a tasting buffet - lots of different nibbles, from smoked fish to sweet 'n' sour - with shot glasses of different beers.

Choose cheese as a beer buddy​

Why not hold a cheese and beer party? There is no doubt that beer goes better with cheese than wine. Prove it to your regulars with half-a-dozen different cheeses accompanied by carefully chosen beers.

And how about a beer cookery demonstration? Do a starter, main course and dessert then serve the meal; if your kitchen is too small, describe how each dish is made and provide the recipes.

Talking of recipes, why not print out a few beer recipes in a leaflet and sell them for charity during Beer With Food Week? But whatever you do - participate!

You'll find more beer with food ideas at: www.morningadvertiser.co.uk or www.camra.org.uk​

Smoked chunky chilli with beer

Ingredients (serves 6)​

300g/10½oz braising steak

100ml strong, full-flavoured beer

500g/18oz minced beef

30g/1oz red chillies, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tsp hot chilli powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 dsp tomato purée

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin kidney beans, drained of liquid

Salt and pepper

Method​

Cut the braising steak into small cubes, roughly 1cm square. Pour the beer over the steak and leave overnight in the fridge. To make the chilli, drain the marinated beef, reserving the marinating liquid and pat the meat dry on kitchen paper. Fry the meat until it browns, remove from the pan and set aside. Brown the mince in the same pan, and set aside, with the braising steak including any meat juices. Fry the onions, garlic and chopped chilli for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add the chilli powder and paprika and carry on frying for a couple more minutes. Keep stirring so the mixture doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato purée and fry for a couple more minutes, while stirring. Put the meat back in the pan along with the tinned tomatoes and the reserved marinating liquor, then simmer very gently for at least an hour and a half. Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, add the drained kidney beans.

Source: The Food & Beer Cookbook by Richard Fox,​

published on 24 April by Senate Books at £12.99