Match of the week

Pork pie and pale ale

Today, being St George’s Day, what other pairing could I offer you but a classic British dish with a classic British beer?

Pork pies, for those of you who are unfamiliar with them are quintessential British pub grub, coarsely chopped or minced pork encased in crisp pastry. At least it should be crisp. Many pork pies suffer from spending days on a supermarket - or garage forecourt - chill counter so that the pastry become leaden and soggy.

A freshly baked pie, on the other hand is an irresistible treat. Just warm, oozing with savoury jelly, the meat sweet and flavoursome. The best come from the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray though I’ve had some wonderful pies from butchers in Yorkshire too. You can buy them online from Dickinson & Morris on www.porkpie.co.uk

The pale ale I would choose - and not simply because Madonna claims that it is her favourite beer - is Timothy Taylor's Landlord from Keighley in Yorkshire, a multi-award-winning, intensely hoppy brew that has four times been CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Supreme Champion. Pale ale is the bottled version of the bitter you find in pubs so a best bitter would of course do equally well.

The match is so great because it contains two ingredients that pair brilliantly with traditional British ales, pork and pastry. Home made sausage rolls would be equally good.

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