CAMRA launches beer and food matching initiative

The Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), hosted by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) , is encouraging its expected 55,000 visitors to match the real ales they try with different foods, as part of a new campaign to get more people matching beer with their meals.

CAMRA will be promoting its Beer and Food Matching Guide, which gives visitors examples of beers to try alongside foods available at the event.

These include:

•    Sausages paired with “A Pork-a-lypse” by Brains Brewery (Double Chocolate and Bacon porter)

•    Curry paired with “Big Job” by St Austell

•    Chocolate paired with a Belgian cherry beer like “3 Fonteinin Kriek”

GBBF is also hosting the first ever ‘Nuts & Beer’ Tutored Tasting Session on Thursday (15 August).

Beer Sommelier Jane Peyton and American Pistachio Growers will show visitors how they can match different beer styles with American pistachio nuts with flavourings including teriyaki, garlic and thyme.

CAMRA chief executive, Mike Benner said: “There are a number of pubs that are doing some fantastic things with matching beers and food, but we would like to see more add beer on the menus as well as wine so consumers can make an informed choice. A lot of people nowadays like to choose pubs and restaurants that serve locally grown food and we hope pubs will follow suit offering local brewed beers to match.

GBBF is the ideal place to start with such a range of beers and food available at the event.”

Pubs already matching beer and food:

Anchor, Walberswick, Suffolk

White Horse, Parsons Green, London

Cutty Sark Tavern, Greenwich, London

Bull, Highgate, London

Friends of Ham, Leeds, West Yorkshire

Tithe Bar, Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Tattershall Castle Pub Company launched a beer and food menu in June 2013

Geronimo Inns organise regular beer and food matching events

The festival runs at London’s Olympia from the 13th to the 17th of August, featuring over 800 real ales, ciders, perries and international beers. For more information, or to download the food matching guide, visit www.gbbf.org.uk