Great British Food - Christmas 2025

The art of beer pairing Although beer is at its essence water, yeast and grain, the types of grain (from hops to barley and wheat) and the moment they’re added to the mix mean there are myriad flavour profiles across the brewing world – an almost infinite level of choice. What you need to do when pairing beer with food, much like wine, says Jacob, is think about whether you want to ‘cut’, ‘contrast’ or ‘complement’. Fatty meats or cheeses will benefit, for example, from beers that slice neatly through their inherent richness. Spicy food requires something light, cool, crisp and bubbly to contrast against the heat. And pudding, naturally, needs a beer that will complement its sweetness and bring out its very essence. Here are some of Jacob’s festive dinner table suggestions: The aperitif For canapes, a really lovely combination is serving salmon, blinis and a little grating of orange with a wheat beer (weissbier), which will have a lot of citrussy notes to it. It’s also very refreshing, dry, and quite effervescent, which is great with the fatty notes of the salmon. Belgian Wit, which is brewed with orange and coriander, is especially good here. If you’re doing something like pigs in blankets as a starter or canape, because sometimes they’re covered in a nice glaze with brown sugar or maybe maple syrup, you could serve themwith a dark mild, because those are really fruity. Or go for a British IPA, because the spicy character of IPA stands up to the flavour of the sausages and bacon. If you really want to push the boat out, you could go for a smoked beer like Rauchbier, to bring out those smoky bacon flavours – even reducing it down with honey to make the glaze for your pigs in blankets. Turkey I’d say you want to go with something like an amber beer – an amber lager or British amber ale. You’ve got a nice, malty, slightly sweet beer here that can potentially have a bit of spiciness in it to complement the full flavours of a Christmas meal, but also a good bit of carbonation to cleanse the palate. Roast beef Beef can have more of a mild flavour but can be paired in a similar way to turkey because, if you look at the Christmas plate, it’s not just the meat; you’re having sprouts, carrots, gravy, potatoes. You need something that will go with all those elements and help wash it down. English bitter is very thirst-quenching with a good bit of malty depth to it that would pair well with the caramelisation on the beef. Goose You can bring in a bit more flavour here with something malty and spicy like a doppelbock. It’s a kind of 7-8% lager that’s still quite refreshing, but tastes like liquid bread. It’s beautiful and rich. Or go for a stronger West Coast IPA, which is a bit maltier, with some bitterness to cut through the heaviness of the goose, and some orange, grapefruit, earthy pine and spicy notes. Christmas pudding This is where I’d go for a barley wine if I wanted to do something really special. They’re around 8-12% and really sweet, with lots of hints of caramel, toffee, raisin and dried apricot. This pairs brilliantly with the fruitiness of Christmas pudding. Delicious. A dark mild would also work well. Or, Christmas pudding is so sweet it could pair with a Duchesse de Bourgogne. That has notes of cherry and oakiness, and it’s sour, so it cuts through, especially if you’re serving pudding with brandy butter or custard. Cheeseboard With a Brie you want something reasonable light like a Belgian tripel. It’s slightly carbonated to cut through the fattiness. Or go with a nice British lager. Cheddars are quite tangy so naturally pair well with IPA. The bitterness offsets that tanginess. And a blue cheese like Stilton will go brilliantly with a barley wine. If I was going to have a cheeseboard, I would probably pick a beer that fits the bill all-round, and barley wine does that job. It’s sweet and caramelly with some fruity notes and complements all cheeses. An old ale would be good too because generally they’re also quite sweet with notes of raisins and plums. If you get a nice, higher ABV British old ale it will have quite a bit of residual sweetness and dried fruit notes. Boxing Day curry You want a fruity beer that’s pretty hoppy here. Any fruity IPA is good with curry – there’s enough flavour to stand against it, and often fruity characteristics that are really nice with the spices. Then, obviously, you also might want something thirst- quenching like a British lager to cut through the richness. 3of thebiggestUK beer trends in2025 1. Alcohol-free, lower ABV and mid-strength (3-3.8%) beers are becoming ever popular as more people cut their alcohol intake. 2. There’s a huge drive towards fruity beers, whether that’s including fruity hops such as Mosaic, or brewing with fruit. 3. Older brands, such as Bass and Double Diamond, are making a comeback, tapping into our collective love of nostalgia. 79 greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com FEATURE | BEER AND FOOD PAIRING