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Bringing beer into the gourmet kitchen

Three gourmet chef students enter the room with a beautifully prepared serving. They position their plates carefully on the table. One by one, the students introduce their work to the four judges sitting in front of them. The judges listen carefully, asking a few pertinent questions and occasionally leaning over to sample the delicious fare. They are especially interested in how the Carlsberg beer has been used in the serving and how it should complement the food’s textures and flavours. After a few words of feedback from the judges, the students take their plates and add them to the long row of other equally delicious servings. The next group of students steps anxiously forward.   Promoting the beer category in food One of the judges at this competition at the Copenhagen Hospitality College is Bjarke Bundgaard, marketing consultant at Carlsberg and a true beer enthusiast. He is responsible for the cooperation between Carlsberg Danmark and the Copenhagen Hospitality College, explaining it as one of Carlsberg’s efforts in promoting the idea of beer and its use in fine cuisine. “We believe that beer can be used as a key ingredient in gourmet cooking. It’s not about whether someone prefers drinking beer with their meal; it’s about that beer is an actual option in the preparation of high-quality food and that it can actually enhance the taste.” Bjarke believes that most people do not see beer as an actual ingredient so they are not aware of its potential. That is why he believes so much in improving the profile of the beer category in food. “I like to see it as investing in change in the gastronomic world. We’ve put in place some grass-root initiatives that we think will affect this change in the long term,” he says. The next generation of beer ambassadors Getting alongside key influencers is an important part of bringing about change. This is one of the key reasons for supporting the Copenhagen Hospitality School. Bjarke Bundgaard explains: “Copenhagen Hospitality College has an excellent reputation having trained many elite gourmet chefs through the years. When the school relocated to Valby, very close to Carlsberg’s premises, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to engage with them.” The compelling opportunity for Carlsberg was the ability to get close to up-and-coming food professionals and already as part of their training help shape their views on beer in food. Bjarke Bundgaard believes this could be highly influential in bringing beer into mainstream cooking: “We can provide them with the latest knowledge and skills in how to get the best out of different beers in their cooking. We have a great chance of them becoming true beer ambassadors.” Quality beer for quality food If beer is to be used in creating cuisine of the highest level, it is essential that the beer delivers the consistency and quality that it is supposed to. “This is very important in food-making,” Bjarke explains. “It’s where Carlsberg’s production processes, based on, for example, consistency in the choice of yeast and the fermentation process, become a big advantage for chefs. They know that when they choose a particular beer for a particular taste, they can be sure they’ll get it.” So with quality in mind, what words of advice did Bjarke Bundgaard have for the talented students? “The standard was very high indeed and it’s always a delight to taste what the students come up with. It’s wonderful to see their eyes light with enthusiasm and a growing passion for beer,” he says. “Our job is to see how they have integrated beer into their cooking. Generally, I’m very impressed with their craftsmanship and ingenious solutions but I would like them to be even more daring. They can work to use the beer so it brings out flavours even more. It’s not easy to work with beer, but when you crack the code, it’s surely worth it!”   This feature article was also published in theQ3 version of our quarterly investor magazine "NEWS".