Hepworth Blonde Beer

A couple of weeks back a lovely friend of mine, Kerry Anne, from New Zealand sent me a lovely collection of food magazines, Dish, Cuisine and Australian Vogue Entertaining + Travel.

I have to confess that all three are of a much higher standard than the ones gracing our newsagent shelves here in the UK. Glossy, thick paper with a feeling of longevity about them. From fabulous recipes and stunning photography; product reviews and even fashion features (Vogue), through to well written, relevant articles, these magazines have it all.

Recently I unsubscribed from all the mainstream UK food magazines because of repetitive content and a seeming dependence of Supermarket pre-packed produce rather than start from scratch cooking; however, if they were more like the lovely selection Kerry Anne sent me I’d have been more inclined to keep the subscriptions up to date and dare I say it, even try curb the number of cookery book I buy.

I do love to read food magazines from other countries; I find it fascinating to learn of other food cultures and current trends around the globe. Somehow though it did seem rather odd reading about ‘warm weather food’ and Christmas in the same context. The two just don’t match together in my mind, but, for our Antipodean friends that is exactly the case.

There are many recipes I’ve bookmarked to try in the warmer months but some can easily be adapted now to suit the cooler weather such as the Penne with Pesto shown above.

So what better way to get the most enjoyment from these magazines than to curl up near an open log fire (okay, okay it’s a gas fire but looks like an open log fire but hey ho a girl can’t have everything) with a nice drink and a few nibbles. Given that the weather is exceptionally cold and wet right now, the idea of spending an evening like that is even more appealing than normal.

So armed with a glass of organic Hepworth Blonde Lager from Abel & Cole and some peanuts, I had a lovely evening of reading ahead of me.

Hepworth & Co was opened in 2000 by Andy Hepworth, former Head Brewer of King & Barnes, John Tewson, Paul Webb and Tim Goacher. They are now employing 20 staff, Hepworth & Co. produce beers and lagers of distinction in cask, keg and bottle, using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. Their commitment to local barley and hop growers has led to participation in the Warranty of Origin, a code of practice guaranteeing the source of ingredients. They are also licensed by the Soil Association for the production and packaging of organic beers.

After reviewing the Daas blond beer I was rather looking forward to this one too, hidden at the back of my mind though were thoughts of heavy very fruity German beers that I never gathered a taste for. I needn’t have worried here, a combination of English barley, German yeast and Admiral hops deliver a crisp floral note, and the purity of flavour is protected by the cold filtration process.

Whilst the Daas blond beer was more to my tastes I certainly wouldn’t pass a glass of this up either.

Thank you Abel & Cole for the Review Product (Blonde Larger).