Westminster Kingsway hosts Brewers Association beer and food matching lunch

Chef Adam Dulye promised to take food pairing “where no grape has gone before” when US trade body the Brewers Association held a beer and food matching lunch at Westminster Kingsway College, London.

Dulye, executive chef of the Brewers Association, worked with second-year chefs and front of house students at the college to create a four-course tasting menu matched to beers selected by the seven US craft brewers who attended the lunch.

The aim was to encourage the young chefs to think about matching the diverse range of flavours that beer offers, taking the principles of food matching into different areas to conventional wine pairings.

Among the matches were the main course of Aylesbury duck matched to Baker’s Ordinary Bitter, a tribute to the classic British beer style brewed by Virginia Beer Company, as well as a Kriek cherry beer brewed by Upslope Brewing Company.

The dessert of charred pineapple, coconut ice and lime meringue was paired with Pineapple Mana Wheat from Hawaii-based Maui Brewing Company.

The UK is the second-biggest export market for US craft brewers after Canada, said Matthew Palmer, deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in London, who told guests that US brewers have taken inspiration from traditional beer styles

He said: “We know that we stand on the shoulders of giants in terms of the deep, rich brewing tradition in the UK and Europe, but the US brings something different to the table. Tradition is wonderful, but there’s always the opportunity to experiment and innovate."