Malt meets milk as the Beer Academy's hosts it first Festival of Beer and Cheese

Over 150 people joined the Beer Academy for its first festival of British beer and cheese in the magnificent Hall of the Worshipful Company of Brewers in the City of London. Cheese Makers and Head Brewers were on hand to help participants discover the art of beer and cheese matching (see Notes for Editors for details of all the cheese makers and brewers represented).

Beer Sommelier and keen amateur cheese maker, Peter Haydon who attended the event said "Any brewer understands cheese-making because the processes are so similar. Cheese is basically beer backwards - and vice versa. It's not surprising that beer and cheese are natural bedfellows".

Nigel White of the British Cheese Board said "It is only in recent years that I discovered the joy of beer with cheese. There is such an enormous variety of both beer and cheeses that finding a perfect match is virtually inevitable".

Beer Sommelier Steve Livens said "There are few hard and fast rules to matching beer with any food; it's very much a matter of personal preference. But there are simple tips to bear in mind. When it comes to cheese, a stronger weightier cheese, such as blue stilton, usually needs a robust beer such as porter or even heavily hopped dark ale. Whereas a salty cheddar responds perfectly to the refreshment of a lighter golden ale or a floral lager. But in the end, the real joy and excitement of finding the perfect combination comes from the voyage of discovery!"

For further information contact:

Paul Hegarty at Paul.k.hegarty@googlemail.com or +44 (0)7808 096250

Notes for Editors.

Cheeses were from Denhay Farms, Dewlay, The British Cheese Board, Goodwood Cheese, Milk Link, Long Clawson and Paxton & Whitfield.

Beers were from the Badger Brewery, Caledonian Brewery, Everards, Fuller Smith & Turner, Greene King, Marston's, Meantime Brewery, Shepherd Neame and Wells & Young's.