Simon Wibberly, operations manager at &Union, chats to Malu Lambert about the importance of microbreweries in SA, and the things to keep in mind when pairing beer and food.

Tell me about the “We Love Real Beer” initiative.
It’s a communication channel dedicated to promoting a community of “real beer” lovers. Through the initiative, breweries, importers, distributors, restaurants, bars and retailers can proudly stand together to further the growth of naturally crafted beers.

What are the most important things to keep in mind when pairing beer and food?
Beer is a far more flexible companion to food than wine. The goal is to find a balance, and the keywords to keep in mind are “complement” and “contrast”.

You may want to contrast a dish that is very rich or buttery by serving it with a light, hoppier beer. Or, with a lemon-infused salmon dish, you would want to complement it with a wheat beer. The key is to experiment and challenge your perceptions and palate. And, of course, have some fun as you learn!

How about pairing sweet desserts with beer?
My ultimate experience was when I did a pairing for a group of highly esteemed, international food critics. The dish was a pineapple tarte-tartin, and the natural choice of beer was the Touro Tripel Blonde Strong Ale. The fruity bouquet of the beer and its whiskey-like malt prefectly completemented the dessert – so much so that it received a standing ovation from a 65-year-old Belgian!

Why are microbreweries important?
We’ve been given a very limited choice of beer for far too long. It’s time that we start asking questions. What goes into our beer? How is it made? What different beers are available? Beer is a food product made in its purest form from barley, yeast, hops and water. Industrial beer is like getting a meal from fast food outlet. It’s the brewer’s attention to recipes and ingredients that maximise the flavour, appearance and aroma of beer, and they typically do not use fillers, thickeners, preservatives or artificial flavourings.