Cut, complement, and contrast. These are the three Cs of beer and food pairing according to Zak Avery (author of 500 Beers, the layman’s guide to international beer).

The cut, says Zak, is a beer that resets the palate with each sip. The complementary method works by matching a flavour in the beer to a flavour in the food. The contrast method is his favourite, however. He suggests trying Guinness and ice cream, or chocolate tart with cherry beer.

In South Africa, the number of microbreweries is relatively small – a startling find when you consider that beer is SA’s favourite beverage.

Chef Pete Goffe-Wood is at the forefront of the artisanal beer trend. And, like any good chef worth his weight in spatulas, he’s tailor-made a menu to prove it. 

This kind of pairing doesn’t amount to a garden-variety lager and salty bar peanuts. Artisanal beer is a serious business. Brewmasters use the best ingredients and no additives to make sure that their slow-brewed, 100% natural tipple is an experience in a glass.

Pete’s Micro Brewery Menu will knock the socks off even the most jaded palate. I went along to check out his first night. 

On arrival at Wild Woods, a white porcelain spoon, cupping ravioli, is set down in front of me. The contents are a take on classic Welsh rarebit. To match is a generous glass of James Mitchell’s Gone Fishing Cider.

“It’s not beer,” says Pete, “but it makes a lovely refreshing aperitif – the best way to cleanse your palate.”

This cider is the result of wine-maker Bruce Jack cooking up apples in Stanford. It’s rich in colour and aroma – a heavyweight in comparison with the usual mass-produced applely offerings.

Pete is implementing the cut method here and it works a treat in resetting and refreshing my palate.

Next up is a mussel-and-fennel risotto artfully paired with Birkenhead’s Honey Blonde.

Maybe it’s just the power of suggestion, but there’s a slight sweetness in the draught reminiscent of Liquorice All Sorts that complements the fennel in the risotto perfectly. That being said, the inherent fruity, richness of the beer is a sure match for the indulgent risotto too.

In between courses, both Pete and Simon Wibberley of &Union take turns chatting to the beer-guzzling guests. Both are clearly passionate about micro brews and their increasing popularity.

Pete puts it simply: “Beer has become cool again. These artisanal beers have always been here, it’s just that people are more adventurous now.”

The rest of the menu is well thought out too. There’s chicken liver parfait paired with Jack Black Draught Lager, and veal sweetbreads with lentils and mustard sauce paired with Union Step Weiss. 

The last savoury course is Pete’s homemade Toulouse sausage. The sausages are served on a delicate mound of creamy mash. Made out of pork belly and cured bacon, these rough, country-style sausages are paired with Birkenhead’s Pride (Old English Ale). 

“This is quite a rich dish,” says Pete. “We need the beer to have a slightly bitter taste.” The contrast method comes into play here.

Now a gooey, luscious, sticky toffee pudding and an opaque glass of &Union Unfiltered Dark are placed in front of me. 

Now this is a dessert. Pete agrees wholeheartedly: “We wanted to match the caramel in the dessert to the caramel in the beer – a play on the synergy between the two tastes.”

The way Pete approached this menu has ensured its success. He’s played it cool, calm and collected.

By Malu Lambert

Other restaurants that serve artisanal brews

Joburg

Back of the Moon

Luca's Pizzeria

IL Giardino D'egli Ulivi

The Peech Hotel

Durban

Hemingway's Bistro

Fusion Café 

Moyo

Spiga d’Oro

Cape Town

Arnold's Restaurant

Harveys at The Mansions

Knead

Planet Champagne Bar at the Mount Nelson