Everyone knows the basic rules of matching wine with food. But now that quality beer has had such a resurgence, it might be time to rethink what we drink to accompany our food.

Beer is undeniably more refreshing than wine, and if paired right, can really complement a meal. Whilst we’re all beer experts these days, there are a lot of lesser-known beer and food matches that are surprisingly delicious.

A few years ago there was no such thing as a beer sommelier, but now there are more and more training courses popping up for those who want to become experts in matching food with beer.

To save you the time and effort, simply read on to discover some of the most surprising but delicious beer and food pairings.

1. Salad and lambic

This dry Belgian beer works wonderfully with a crisp salad, and if you’ve used a fruity dressing, try a fruit lambic too.

2. Chocolate peanut butter cookies and porter

Sweet and salty cookies such as these pair surprisingly well with a darker beer like porter, resulting in a delicious combo.

3. Sushi and hefeweizen

Japan meets Germany in this unusual combo but the light, delicate beer will go down a treat with sushi.

4. Spiced ginger cake and IPAs

The warming richness of spiced ginger cake pairs beautifully with an IPA, and as they’re always meant to be drunk last, IPAs are a great choice with pudding.

5. Risotto with pilsener