Last week, someone on a beer WhatsApp group asked for recommendations of restaurants that are championing food and beer pairing culture and I have to admit I was a bit stumped. Sadly most chefs in South Africa don’t take beer seriously. Many fine dining restaurants have pretty poor beer menus, often listing five or six versions of the same beer – pale lager – with a token pale ale or IPA from Devil’s Peak or Jack Black to mix things up. Many people still think beer is just something that you use to wash down a burger or a boerie and don’t appreciate that beer can pair perfectly with sushi or chicken or dessert. Time and money is spent training waiting staff on wine and cocktails, but little emphasis is given even to the basics of beer (such as the importance of clean glassware).

There are exceptions to this of course. Beer-centric places like Banana Jam Cafe and Capital Craft have a heavy focus on beer service, often showcasing beer and food pairings or dishes featuring beer. And the Belgian Beer Company has recently been highlighting the versatility of Belgian beer, particularly when it comes to pairing it with food of all types.

Over the past few weeks, the Belgian Beer Company has been running a pretty cool promotion across five Cape Town Restaurants. “Pair, Rate, Win” is your chance to be a food and beer critic – plus you could win a case of Belgian beer delivered to your door. Here’s some info on the participating restaurants and their pairing offerings:

1. Den Anker – Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Pairing Dish: Kingklip marinated in Maredsous Tripel

2. Jason Bakery – Main Rd, Green Point
Pairing Dish: Smash Burger paired with Vedett Pilsner 

3. Thaiyashi – Dean St, Newlands 
Pairing Dish: Angry Duck paired with La Chouffe

4. Salt & Sage –  Marine Promenade, Table View
Pairing Dish: Chicken Roulade paired with La Chouffe

5. Sonamu – Campground Rd, Rondebosch
Pairing Dish: Korean Bibimpap paired with La Chouffe

The competition runs for the rest of the week, ending on International Beer Day – Friday 1 August. Just drop into any of the participating restaurants, order the pairing dish then scan the QR code to rate the pairing and enter the competition. Get out and support if you can – we need more initiatives like this to drive local beer culture. Plus, you know – you could win beer!