Food and beer matching is relatively new to many people. Real ale sales are increasing in pubs against big commercial lagers, showing an appetite for more complex flavours, but restaurants are still less likely to stock or to recommend beers to accompany their food. As a Beer Sommelier, it’s one of my jobs to promote beer as a complement to food. You’ll be amazed at how often a beer works better than a wine with certain dishes.

But where to start? Over a few posts, I want to guide you through some of the basics, introduce you to a few beer styles and the foods to pair with them. And if you really get the bug then there are many courses for both complete novice and the aspiring Beer Sommelier and everyone in-between.

Often regarded as the poor relation to wine, beer is actually a very complex drink involving up to 12 ingredients. The principle components are: malts (that’s the sweet, part-germinated barley grains) which give both colour and flavour; wonderfully aromatic hops, the herbs and spices if you like; and finally, yeast and water, which also contribute to the flavour. All of these add differing depths and dimensions to the flavour of beer. There are now over 130 recognised beer styles today- plenty of room to create some interesting flavour pairings.