Get yourself to the class of the head
The Great British Beer Festival kicks off next week at Olympia, London (5-9 August). What's that got to do with you? Well, if you aren't offering a beer list alongside your wine list then you had better get thinking - your customers want it.
I'm not talking about offering the odd bottle (or worse, can) of Heineken or Stella - I'm talking about offering a decent line-up. Some British bottle-conditioned ales, a couple of Belgian brews and some German ale would be nice. And don't think you won't be able to sell it, or that it doesn't fit in with your kind of set-up - if Devon's Gidleigh Park can do it, so can you.
The Stonor hotel and restaurant in Henley-on-Thames is the latest in an increasing number of establishments offering a beer list. It even has five on draught, including my favourite brew, Hook Norton, and a wheat beer from Germany. Among the seven bottled beers listed, there is Chimay Blue from Belgium (£3.20) and Czech favourite Staropramen (£3).
There are many good reasons for offering a beer list - not least the fact that it's something the British do very well. You support other local suppliers, so why not your local brewery too? Another key factor is that beer is great with food - it's as complex as any wine and goes with a vast array of different foods.
Lager, for example, is great with light fish dishes, and stronger, darker ales, such as Irish stout, work brilliantly with seafood. Tangy ales are wondrous with warm, cheesy things, and there's even a few beer matches for dessert - try a Belgian fruit beer with something chocolatey and you'll see what I mean. Beer's natural acidity, from both hops and fermentation, means it makes a great marinade, too.
If you thought beer festivals were for bearded, pot-bellied types, I have news for you: women (attractive young women, at that) are getting into real ale. Almost 30% of the 68,000 members of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) are women - and Camra appointed a woman chairman for the first time this year. At the festival next week, Camra will be announcing the excellent progress of its Hale Ninkasi Campaign, aimed at attracting women to try real ale.
Other events at the festival will include Camra's Localism Campaign (they love their campaigns), which will promote a different beer region each day, not to mention the 700 real ales, ciders, perries and foreign beers (from Germany, Belgium, Italy, the USA, Russia and the Czech Republic) there will be available to taste and buy.
Camra's Tony Jerome says: "The festival is an ideal occasion for those in the restaurant or hotel business to visit and try the range of tastes for themselves. The festival programme offers tasting notes to help choose which beers to try, and bar staff will be delighted to offer their advice on which beers to taste."
Shorts
Premier Cru from the keg
Kronenbourg 1664 has launched Premier Cru - and the slow-brewed 6% abv beer, made in Strasbourg, has food in mind. "It's good with fish, meat and game," said master brewer Jean-Yves Malpote.
Made with roasted barley and Strisselspalt hops, it got the thumbs-up from beer guru Michael Jackson. "The colour derives from the Vienna malts, which impart a nutty, crusty toastiness reminiscent of a baguette fresh from the oven," he enthused. "The Vienna style is very food-friendly."
The food match at the launch dinner was pike-perch and green asparagus in a sauce flavoured with Kronenbourg Premier Cru, cooked by legendary Strasbourg chef Emile Jung. Jackson felt the beer would stand up to something a little spicier. "And it's good with puddings, too," he said. "It would go really well with a pecan pie."
Beer Academy All 20 students of the inaugural Beer Academy course at the White Horse pub in Parson's Green, London, passed with a certificate qualification, with eight students awarded special merit. The six two-hour tutorials were designed to help those retailing beer in the on- and off-trades (or writing about beer) to gain a better understanding of the industry.
The on-trade contingent included a Searcy's general manager, James Cornewall-Walker (who got a special merit), and Emma Thwaites from the Unique Pub Company.
Sponsor Rupert Thompson of Refresh UK said: "We are currently in the early planning stages for four modules for the future: a basic 11/2-hour introduction to beer; a one-day foundation course; a three-day intermediate course; and a five-day advanced course." Bring it on.
Record wine fair As we're in festival mode, the 2003 London International Wine and Spirits Fair, held in London's Docklands in May, was the most successful ever, said organiser James Murray, who revealed the latest visitor figures. The total number of attendees hit 16,171, 7% up on last year, and this year's On-Trade Forum attracted an extra 15% from the industry. Murray promised: "We will be developing this further for the 2004 show."
