Roger Protz, editor of the 2004 CAMRA Good Beer Guide, is calling for diners to try beer with their meal rather than wine. He believes that the diversity of tastes and varieties of beers means that they can be matched to dishes in the same way as wine.
CAMRA suggests that pubs which serve food should include tasting notes, and that brewers should put tasting notes on bottled beers. Regional brewer Greene King has devised a series of menus with a beer to drink with each course; and Shepherd Neame has organised a series of beer dinners. The Queen's head at Tirril follows the theme with its annual beer and sausage festival, and the Mill Inn in Mungrisdale has recently held its second pie festival, with fillings such as rabbit and chilli.
Some suggestions from CAMRA for beer with food include haggis with potato and turnip fritters, onion gravy and 2003 Champion Beer of Britain Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted; Stilton cheese with 2003 Champion Bottle-conditioned beer O'Hanlon's Port Stout. We¹ll print any readers¹ recipes for dishes to be accompanied with beer in future editions of What Ales?