Chef Wise

Marketing support for restaurants and 'Brand Ambassadors' Within days of appointing Ben Parmar, the former Cobra Channel Controller, as MD of Goa Premium Beer importer Viiking Ventures UK, the company has announced that wholesalers Booker and Makro are to stock its craft beer. The gluten-free pilsner is being trialled in 650ml bottles and 500ml cans for three months - at Booker outlets in Acton, Brighton, Croydon, Dagenham, Nine Elms, St Pancras, Sidcup, Southend, Medway and Wimbledon plus as well as Makro depots in Charlton, Enfield and Rayleigh – ahead of a decision whether to roll out the product nationwide. Parmar has immediately beefed up the sales operation.  His first appointment is Hoshang Noria, former National Sales Manager at Kato Enterprises, of who also spent 12 years as a Regional Sales Manager for Cobra. Parmar has also added a van sales team to call on independent high street retailers, which has had a dramatic impact on sales.  The compa...

When it comes to corporate entertainment, Brew Club, a different and new kind of brewery, has come up with the ultimate solution – brewing your own beer in the heart of East London. Over the decades everything from wine tasting to days at the spa, have proven great options for client entertainment. However, in the 21st century a traditional technique, with a modern day twist, is proving to be an increasingly popular activity for larger groups; including businesses of all sizes at Brew Club. In teams of 2-4 per Braumeister (a state-of-the-art brewing station), each group can choose from 3 different types of beer to brew and leave with up to 40 bottles. In addition to being educated on the skills of brewing, Brew Club has their own tap room where you can sample local beers. Brew Club's co-founders Rob Berezowski and Jo Llewellyn-Jones said: “We have spent many days with friends at home brewing all sorts of styles of beer. For us beer brewing is definitely a social...

If you're looking for a Christmas gift for the beer-lover in your life, take inspiration from our list of 10 books about our national drink. While the number of breweries in the UK has rocketed – up to 1,700 at the last count – writing about beer, brewers and pubs is also in good health. Whether you want a romp through beer's 10,000-year history, some tips on cooking with beer or a handy guide to the best places to enjoy it, there's a book just waiting to go under your Christmas tree. All the books below have been written by some of our finest beer and pubs writers, whose work has been recognised in the annual awards staged by the British Guild of Beer Writers.  Simply choose, wrap up, hand over - preferably with a bottle of seasonal ale – and wait for the gratitude to pour in. The World Atlas of Beer                            ...

Take a Different Look at Christmas Drinks This Year If you want to spice up this year's Christmas dining with a selection of drinks, look no further than Friends of Glass and drinks educator of the year, Jane Peyton. Together, they bring you the essential guide to alternative festive drinks and argue that beer and cider are the best partners for your food choices this Christmas.  In recent times, both beer and cider have undergone a huge surge in popularity. Partly driven by the rise of craft beers and premium ales, there are now more breweries per capita in the UK than any other country. New cider brands have transformed the choice of great ciders on offer in the shops, with many styles now available. Jane Peyton believes that both beer and cider are great British options for pairing with your food this Christmas. She says: “With a huge range of brilliant beers and ciders now widely available, there's never been a better time to explore these wonderful ...

Caledonian Brewery is inviting festivalgoers to visit an exciting list of bars especially activated from the 5th to 29th August in Edinburgh during its Festival Fringe. The brewery recently renewed and extended its partnership with the Fringe Society with a three-year deal to continue to support the world's largest arts festival while raising awareness of Caledonian's Scottish brewing heritage. Andy Maddock, Managing Director of Caledonian Brewery, commented:“Caledonian is a true institution in Edinburgh and we're very proud to sponsor our city's Festival. The partnership with the Fringe Society will offer visitors the chance to see a different side to Edinburgh. We want festivalgoers to make the most of this year's Fringe and we are looking forward to seeing them experience an unforgettable and undiscovered side to our city and Caledonian.” The extension of the partnership will see Caledonian Brewery continuing its sponsorship of venue boards and Fr...

The refurbished Abergavenny Arms in Frant near Tunbridge Wells is to host a four-day beer festival over the August Bank Holiday, from Friday 26th to Monday 29th August. The highlight of the event will be live music in the pub garden with a hog roast on the Sunday. During the festival the imposing 16th century pub, which is open all day for food, will serve 18 different beers. These will include many local craft beers and guest ales from around the UK and beyond. “For me, the final bank holiday Sunday of the summer is the best day of the year,” said pub landlord Richard Burrell.  “Party all day with no work to worry about the next morning – except for us poor pub workers.” A popular destination for beer enthusiasts, the bar normally offers no fewer than six hand pulled ales from Kent and Sussex brewers, such as Harvey's Best, Tonbridge Coppernob, Long Man's American Pale Ale and Best Bitter, Larkin's Traditional and Dark Star's Hophead.  Also stocked ...

Stella Artois creates an immersive theatre experience with acclaimed theatre companies Olivier Award nominated Les Enfants Terribles and Framestore, to take audiences back to a time when Wimbledon was just getting started. Date: 7th – 10th July 2016 Where:  MC Motors, 76 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XB Under an unmissable cinema sign on Stoke Newington Road in Dalston, stands an unassuming bar. Within, a mysterious Time Portal links back to Victorian London. And you are inside. You are a spectator, but also the key to influencing the future. This July, Stella Artois - the Official Beer of Wimbledon – is creating an immersive theatre experience celebrating the humble beginnings of the two brands and the characters behind these legacies. Taking audiences through The Time Portal, into Victorian London, they will experience a time when both Wimbledon and Stella Artois were only just starting out, and their success was still not assured. Bursting with an a...

In mid 2015, Jim Dunphy, owner of the Edmunds Bar and Grill as it was then called, was looking for an opportunity to refresh his Birmingham City centre pub and give it a point of difference over his competition. Acknowledging the growth in popularity of small batch beer, and the growing demand for local products, Jim started to look into options that would allow him to brew his own beer. He quickly realised however, that the space required for a traditional brewery set-up was more than his premises could accommodate. It was then he came across the DigiBrew microbrewery from Craftmaster. Not only did it cost a quarter of the price of the alternatives, it also had a much smaller footprint and would fit within the space he had available. He was able to visit another pub already using a DigiBrew microbrewery and, after tasting the beer, he was confident enough in its quality and made the decision to purchase his own system. Commenting on the move, Jim said: “Brewing our own...

Host, Liverpool's original Pan Asian restaurant and bar concept in Hope Street, held a night with The Liverpool Craft Beer Company dedicated to demonstrating craft beer as the perfect accompaniment to Pan-Asian food. Following discussions with the Love Lane Liverpool City Centre-based business, Host will now be collaborating on a series of similar events beginning in the new year. The Liverpool Craft Beer Company's Jess Doyle said: "For a long time now, people have thought that the only drink to have with your meal is wine, but now, with craft beer becoming more and more popular and breweries, such as our own, producing high quality craft beer, people are starting to realise there's more to beer than bland fizzy lager. Beer styles have a wide spectrum of flavours, aromas, colours and textures which means that there really is a beer for every meal. Five of our beers have been expertly paired with the incredible food at HOST with the chefs tasting the bee...

Until 10th May Nicholson’s pubs across the nation will play host to a beer festival, showcasing the very best in cask ales and speciality beers. With an unrivalled selection of 14 Golden Ales to match the increasingly golden days of summer, the Nicholson’s Beer Festival will offer something for everyone – whether you’re an IPA expert or appreciating an adventurous Blonde for the first time. By downloading the Nicholson’s Hop Circle app, the first pint is a welcome £1. Throughout the festival, there will be a unique opportunity to sample ales from Nicholson’s Grain to Glass competition, where a trio of British brewers were tasked with improvising ales from a ‘blind’ selection of ingredients. Varieties of ‘Style’, ‘ABV Range’ and ‘Hop Region’ were all selected at random, with the brewers relying on their creativity, experience and brewing know-how to create three innovative beers that will delight any inquisitive festival guest. Alongside the Grain to Glass beer, cask ale...

Pete Brown (back row, far left), chair of judges for the 2013 Awards with the winners (back row, l-r): Martyn Cornell; David Wilson; Richard Taylor; Mark Dredge (front row l-r): Marverine Cole; Will Hawkes, Beer Writer of the Year; Roger Protz and Derek Prentice, Brewer of the Year Beer writers, broadcasters and bloggers, take note! Entries to this year’s British Guild of Beer Writers’ Awards close exactly one month today on Friday, 5th September. Don’t miss out on your chance to win one of our eight category awards and a share of the £9,500 prize fund. The competition is open to writers, broadcasters, photographers, poets, illustrators, designers, webmasters and bloggers whose work has broadened the public’s knowledge of beer and pubs over the past year. You do NOT have to be a member of the Guild of Beer Writers to enter and we welcome nominations by third parties – so if you have been impressed by a press article, book or blog about beer, please think about entering it. ...

From the 27th June 2014 to 29th June 2014 ‘’Beer and food is a match made in heaven, whether it’s something simple like great BBQ and beer or more complex like Michelin-starred food and a complex artisan brew – and I’m delighted that FAB Festivals are going to be bringing those together under one roof. I’m extremely excited to be working with this event and hope to see hundreds of hungry and thirsty beer lovers there.’’ Charles Campion, food writer and critic Line Up Charles Campion: Food Critic, Celebrity CHEFS: RAYEESA ASGHAR SANDYS, DAREN BALE, TOM COURT, FELICE TOCCHINI, Music : Groove Manoova, Location Fish Meadow, River Severn, Upton upon Severn Festival Opening Times: 27th – 29th June 2014 Food Festival1911171_501986606576451_477442886_o Friday  10am-7pm Saturday 10am – 7pm Sunday 10am – 6pm Beer Festival Friday 12pm – 11pm Saturday 12pm – 11pm Sunday 12pm – 10.30pm Policy on Dogs Dogs are welcome at the Upt...

Start Date 30th May 2014 End Date 31st May 2014 Details The Rotary Club of Roundhay in association with The Lord Mayor of Leeds will host the North Leeds Charity Beer Festival on Friday 30 & Saturday 31 MAY. The Charity Beer Festival will be held at the Community Hall of St Aidan's Church, Roundhay Road, Leeds LS8 5QD. 3rd Annual North Leeds Charity Beer Festival 2014 The Rotary Club of Roundhay are organising a major fund raising event for local, national and international charities. One of the major benefactors will be The Lord Mayor of Leeds Charity Appeal, 'LOFFTY' - 'Leeds Offers Fun For The Young'. “LOFFTY” aims to create more opportunities for young people to engage in creative and stimulating projects, to enhance activities that may already be available as well as exploring exciting new ones. The North Leeds Charity Beer Festival will be an excellent opportunity to sample 28 Yorkshire produced ales. The theme of the 2014 N...

Legacy of Taste, the organisation responsible for heralding Chinese restaurants, has launched The Pagodas – an awards system and online guide to highlight the UK’s best Chinese places to eat. The first Pagodas were awarded last night at the 7th annual Legacy of Taste Awards event at London’s Grand Imperial Restaurant at the Grosvenor Hotel. Pagoda restaurants, including HKK, Hutong and Kai Mayfair in London, Manchester’s Yang Sing and You & Yu in Blackburn, Lancashire, are chronicled in The Legacy of Taste Eating Out Guide which is tiered, just like a Chinese pagoda, into three categories: One Tiered Pagoda, a generally great Chinese dining experience; Two Tiered Pagoda, an excellent dining experience with innovation and particular attention to detail and Three Tiered Pagoda, the ultimate fine dining experience which breaks new ground. Each year a new Legacy of Taste judging panel will be selected consisting of Michelin Star Chinese chefs, TV chefs, Chinese ...

Need an excuse to party in January? Chinese New Year is the biggest Chinese celebration there is, lasting for 15 days starting on January 31, 2014 and China’s number one beer export, Tsingtao (pronounced Ching Dow), has some cool party tips on how to host your own party to bring in the Year of the Horse. Enjoy an authentic celebration and toast Chinese New Year with genuine import, Tsingtao Beer. Made with 100% natural ingredients, Tsingtao is a golden liquid brewed with rice and Laoshan Mountain spring water - its refreshing taste and clean flavour make it ideal served with food, especially spicy dishes. To help you celebrate, Tsingtao is stocked in all major supermarkets across the UK priced around £2.29 for a 640ml bottle and £4.94 for 4 x 330ml. Once the beer’s on ice, invite family and friends and follow these tips for a fabulous party: Clean Your Home – according to Chinese tradition, cleaning the house will ‘sweep away bad luck’ which may have accumulated...

Claire & Jim Alexander, owners of The Ebrington Arms, near Chipping Campden, fulfilled a lifelong ambition recently when they started brewing their own beer. The pair are now launching The Ebrington Arms’ October Beerfest; a month-long celebration of events and parties, to celebrate Britain’s fantastic real ale and their new beloved Yubby Bitter. The Ebrington Arms’ October Beerfest will mark the pub’s commitment to sourcing, serving, brewing and celebrating real ale. When the couple took over there were only two hand pumps at The Ebrington Arms. The team has since won the CAMRA North Cotswolds Pub of the Year title three times and twice been named runner up; serving six real ales, including their own, with a focus on local and regional breweries that are not found in supermarkets. Beer flights, the closest relative to wine tasting in the Real Ale world, will become a permanent fixture at the pub; Giving customers the chance to sample the real ales before plumping f...