There's A Snack For That Beer..
Posted on June 30, 2017
A guest blog by George Rice, Founder – Serious Pig
Much has changed over the last 10 years in the world of beer. It’s all been reported and well documented so I won’t go into the numbers here but it’s safe to say there’s never been a better time to be a beer drinker in Britain if you care about flavour over price.
The “craft beer revolution” has been something I’ve followed very closely because a) I love beer and was tired with the lack of variety and flavour in the beer that dominated the market and b) disruption in the FMCG sector is an interesting thing and the pace of entrepreneurship that drives it is absolutely fascinating.
I set up Serious Pig in 2009 with a friend for the simple reason that we felt there was a gap in the market for a better quality behind-the-bar snack than what we were typically presented with. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and we’ve managed to face off the challenges of running a small business. I am acutely aware however that the growing craft beer sector has played a significant role in helping our achievements.
10 years ago CAMRA was a dominate force with their membership swelling and their campaign messages landing with the drinkers and the establishments. Change was happening in the brewing world and everything at the bar began to taste better post Jaipur than pre Jaipur… except for the snacks.
Beer and snack pairings seemed to be the net result of what was on “special” at Bookers and might look something like Carling/Mini Chedders. Fosters/Twiglets. Boddingtons/Low rent scratchings. Strongbow/Scampi Fries. Glass of house red/bland soggy black olives etc etc.
Premium snacking began to emerge and a few start-ups began producing some delicious products but it’s still lagging behind the growth of craft beer (everything is to be fair) and there’s a race on now to close the gap somewhat.
Better beer has naturally produced more beer connoisseurs (aka beer geeks) and with that comes an exciting new world that didn’t exist in the pub before – proper beer and food pairing. More sophisticated pallets demand better flavour experiences and matching beers with snacks to layer on more taste now is a real thing, just look what Joe & Sephs have done with their popcorn and what There’s A Beer For That are doing. Combinations are endless and everyone has their preferences so it’s fertile ground for everyone to explore and there are no losers, unless you’ve put all your chips on Pringles!
Serious Pig are our Official Snack Partner For The Beer and Cider Marketing Awards.