With St George’s Day fast approaching, the British Cheese Board has created some tasty British cheese and beer pairings to help you celebrate this patriotic day in style.

Britain produces over 700 named cheeses and there are over 2,000 brands of beer in Britain. With such a variety on offer, there is great scope for winning combinations and what better way to celebrate Britain’s Patron Saint’s Day, than with what we would call the perfect match!

Nigel White, the Secretary of the British Cheese Board says: ‘Pairing cheese and beer gives you the chance to explore the incredible range of taste and textures in our cheese, and equally the stunning range of British beers’

For those who prefer a strong cheese, Cheddar is a great start. With its strong flavours and velvety texture, it creates a smooth coating in the mouth which when tried with White Shield (a toasty like beer) opens up the palate to flavours of citrus and apples.

If you prefer something with a little more of a kick, a Mature Blue Stilton and Ola Dubh (a dark beer) will definitely live up to that. The heavy substance of the beer and its malty and marmite notes complements the cheese, resulting in a powerful explosion of flavours.

Melissa Cole, beer journalist and author of popular blog ‘Girls Guide to Beer’ helped Nigel to identify the perfect beer and cheese matches. Melissa says ‘Beer is, quite simply, the most natural partner for cheese you could choose, and it’s no accident that Britain has a strong history, not to mention bright future, of artisan brewing and cheese making. Whether you choose the classic combination of a pint of bitter with a Ploughman’s or the sophisticated match of a barley wine with Stilton, the opportunity for epicurean delight from the partnership of beer and cheese is endless’.

Recipes can be found on The British Cheese Board site (BCB)

Recommended Beer Recommended Cheese Taste
Dark Star Sunburst Wensleydale This fresh & fruity beer, with hints of orange on the nose and a fresh herbal flavour acts as a very pleasant counterpoint to the mild and slightly sweet flavour of the cheese, – combining to leave a fresh honey-like aftertast
Fuller’s Golden Pride Extra Mature cheddar This is a classic pairing of two great British institutions, barley wine and cheddar cheese. The sweetness of the Golden Pride against the robust saltiness of this extra mature cheddar works so well. For my money this is the start of the perfect Ploughman’s lunch, just add some rustic bread and perhaps a hint of homemade chutney and you’re ther
Stinger Cornish Yarg The fresh meadow smell of the beer projects summer time, and the hints of parsley and grass, combines well with the nutty sweetness of the cheese to offset any excess bitterness in the beer
Bateman’s Victory Ale Capricorn Goat’s Cheese This Lincolnshire beer has masses of flavours in it, and the goat’s cheese really stands up well to it. The rich pear and liquorice notes in the beer are complemented by the slightly chalky texture of the cheese, with both parts of the partnership keeping the other in balance to leave a warm aftertaste
Sharp’s Chalky’s Bark White Stilton with cranberrie This beer created in collaboration with chef Rick Stein is unsurprisingly a natural partner for food. Made with fresh ginger it is a spicy little number which is softened by the cheese and ends in an explosion of fruit flavours from both ale and cheese
Sharp’s Chalky’s Bark Llawnroc We all know that apple & ginger are the best of friends and the light, apply notes of this subtly flavoured English Brie are really complemented by the lemony-ginger notes in this beer – a fruity little pairing for sure
White Shield West Country Farmhouse Cheddar The beer takes centre stage here as the cheese acts as a foil to bring out tiniest hints of cloves with scents of banana; it then ends in an unexpected citrus tang that’s a real taste explosion
White Shield Extra Mature The strength of the cheese helps draw out the strong hints of red apple from the beer, a fruit that is a natural partner to cheeses of all types – very much like this beer
Okell’s McLir Mild Cheddar The pure filtered wheat beer, with hints of lemon, grapefruit and all spice, is a very natural, and thoroughly enjoyable, partner to this cheese with its clean, mild slightly citrus taste
Young’s Special London ale Blue Stilton (and also Llawnroc) This strong cheese needs a strong partner and Special London with its rich rye bread & chocolate flavours is a great accompaniment to showcase the earthy nature of the cheese – and interestingly the cheese also brings out some of the underlying mineral flavours from the beer, and good alternative would be Llawnroc
Brakspear Triple Blue Stilton Another strong cheese that needs a strong partner but this time with different results. The strength of ‘blue’ flavour and saltiness in this cheese means it can really balance the candyfloss flavour of the beer to create waves of caramelised orange
Ola Dubh Blue Stilton Not one for the fainthearted this is a powerful combination. This deliciously earthy cheese helps the sticky Marmite flavours of the beer come out, whilst the beer allows the cheese to become more unctuous and elaborate on the tongue
Grozet Any brie and camembert The fresh gooseberry and bog myrtle flavours in this intensely refreshing beer, combined with its light and bubbly texture, allows the brie to flow across the tongue in a truly refreshing taste combination that seems to scream summer
Peronelle’s Blush White Stilton and Blueberries A perfect dessert replacement this combination is for the sweet of tooth. The hint of Crème du Mur in the cider combines perfectly with the blueberries in the cheese to make a fruity fiesta in the mouth, whilst the dry appley nature of the cider itself prevents it all from becoming too sickly sweet – recommend you put the cheese on a digestive biscuit to get the full experience.

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By Food