Photo of
August 21, 2015
Kenny Webster, MD Isle of Skye Brewing Co, sups Yer Ben with Tom Kitchin.
Kenny Webster, MD Isle of Skye Brewing Co, sups Yer Ben with Tom Kitchin. Pic: Marc Millar

Will beer ever really rival wine when it comes to matching with food?

It already does, reckons Tom Kitchin as he launches Yer Ben, his own craft beer, at The Scran & Scallie, his public house with dining in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge.

‘Beer is already a serious rival to wine,’ he says. ‘It’s up there now. People want to know about the provenance of their beers and they want to know about matching them with food.’

To meet this demand, Tom has teamed up with The Isle of Skye Brewing Co to create Yer Ben, a 5.5% ABV beer which is designed to pair perfectly with everything from pork terrine to fish and chips.

Scran & Scallie has always stocked beers from independent Scottish brewers but Yer Ben is the first Scottish beer which a Michelin-starred chef has helped brew.

Hoppy finish

Tom travelled to Skye to develop the beer in partnership with the brewers Pam MacRuary and Mags Newlands, both of whom are former chefs.

‘It was fun and I really enjoyed doing it,’ says Tom. ‘It’s like stepping into someone else’s world and trying to understand how it works. As a chef you are so focused on what you are doing so it was great to try someone else’s shoes and produce Yer Ben.’

The beer is named after Tom’s grandfather, Ben Robinson.

‘I was really close to my Grandad. He was a Scouser who moved to the Midlands. He was a proper connoisseur of beer. We would go visit him and our day trips would revolve around various cricket grounds and pubs that were known for the quality of their ales.’

‘In a way, Yer Ben is about those childhood memories. At the same time, my Grandad liked his warm cask ales. I can appreciate that but, like all chefs after a hard Saturday night service, what I really want is a cold, refreshing beer and Yer Ben is designed to be drunk chilled.’

Yer Ben is a smooth, refreshing, well-structured, golden and creamy craft beer. With a hint of citrus and a slight sweetness, Yer Ben has a long, hoppy finish which will cut through the richness of food.

‘When we did the tastings with the sommeliers, we found that our beer worked with pork terrine and crispy pork belly,’ notes the chef. ‘The fruity, citrus, sharpness of the beer cut through the salt and fat of the pork belly and the crackling.

‘The real star of the show was fish ‘n’ chips with the beer. The fish has beer batter so it works with that but the beer also cuts the richness of the fish ‘n’ chips. It was a match made in heaven.’

Michelin stars

Tom Kitchin is best known for his hand in the capital’s Michelin-starred restaurants The Kitchin and Castle Terrace, which he opened with Dominic Jack.

Since opening The Scran & Scallie in 2013, Tom and Dominic’s upmarket pub dishes have also been capturing plenty of attention.

‘We opened The Scran & Scallie because we genuinely love pubs,’ explains Tom. ‘There is a sense of community about the best ones and you can go with your grandparents, as a couple or with the kids.’

‘At The Scran and Scallie, we wanted to serve great Scottish beers to go with great Scottish food. We didn’t want to do the big brands and we have been really true to that. I love what the independent Scottish brewers are doing and we have always stocked beers from people like Stewart Brewing, William Bros and Loch Fyne. When Kenny from The Isle of Skye Brewing Co approached us, we thought what we would like to do and it grew from there.

‘The craft beer boom is not new but matching beer with food really is taking off. People are more and more interested in where their beer comes from and in matching it with food. The beer stands for everything that The Scran & Scallie stands for.’

Yer Ben: it's just come doon fae the Isle of Skye.
Yer Ben: it’s just come doon fae the Isle of Skye. Pic: Marc Millar

Kenny Webster, Managing Director at Isle of Skye Brewing, added: ‘Working with Tom felt like a natural fit. He’s been part of the process throughout, exploring our home in Skye, working with our brewers, developing the recipe and really immersing himself every step of the way.

‘We know that consumers want a beer with real character. From its taste, to its look and the story behind it, matched with the drama and passion of the Isle of Skye, we believe Yer Ben really delivers.’

Yer Ben is now available to buy in The Scran & Scallie, on thekitchin.com, in Isle of Skye Brewing shop and on http://skyeale.com/