CELEBRATIONS OF Cornish beer and food seem set to become a regular feature of St Austell Brewery's pubs after the success of an evening dedicated to the art of matching the brewer's beers to local specialities.
Pescadou in Padstow was the venue for what was billed as a Tribute to Beer and Food - spot the link with St Austell's flagship ale there.
Aiming to encourage customers to think about the different characteristics of beer in much the same way as they do wine, the evening kicked off with a tasting workshop that introduced the guests to six widely different beers, ranging from deep spicy porter to crisp and zesty wheat beers.
Award winning head brewer Roger Ryman guided his audience through the nuances of each tipple and advised on which foods they would complement best.
This was followed by a six course menu that featured an abundance of local produce, and was cooked to perfection by head chef Marcus Van Luttmer and his team.
Paul Drye, St Austell's catering development manager, said: "The evening turned into a celebration of Cornish food, with each course accompanied by one of Roger's finest.
"The menu had just won a clutch of silver medals at the prestigious Cornish Challenge cookery competition. Add to this a selection of award
Paul's tasting notes
The first course relied on a classic combination of oysters and stout with the sweet creaminess of the stout rounding off the fresh saltiness of the oysters wonderfully.
The spider crab chowder with its intense but slightly sweet flavour was paired with Tribute Ale, which has a biscuit aroma, but with fruity citrus flavours that suited the crab perfectly.
Next came carpaccio of beef served with horseradish and coated in cracked cumin seeds, which needed a beer like Admirals Ale with its depth and rich spices, calmed down by a blanket of subtle caramel.
Wild sea bass called for something clean and crisp with a hint of citrus. Proper Job IPA had all these qualities and more, but most memorably this ale played well with the buttery saffron potatoes.
The dessert was flavoured with cardamom, nutmeg and a hint of orange zest, a collection of flavours that needed a beer that continued this theme but also had the ability to cut and cleanse. Clouded Yellow, with its defined vanilla and coriander flavours, fitted the bill, and when chilled nicely this wheat beer is crisp enough to cut through any creamy pud.
Finally the Cornish cheese board needed the deepest, richest and most flavoursome of beers to act almost in the way a glass of port would. So a small glass of HSD accompanied the cheeses and with its rich kaleidoscope of flavours nothing could have finished off the meal better.
For a selection of recipes from Pescadou's Tribute to Beer and Food, click on the links on the right