A beer with bite - Chalky's Bite

l Cheers: Rick Stein (left) and Sharp's managing director Nick Baker toast the success of Chalky's Bite

October 28, 2006: A new Belgian-style beer developed by Sharp's in conjunction with chef Rick Stein has been officially launched at the Cornish brewery. And the guest of honour - Chalky the dog - after whom the beer has been named was there too.

Chalky's Bite (6.8%) is designed to be the perfect accompaniment to seafood. Top quality local ingredients have been used, including wild Cornish fennel.

From moules to fish and chips, Chalky's Bite is a great complementary flavour. There is a fruity (peardrops, pineapple, hint of banana and orange) aroma, with pine notes from late hops. In the mouth the fruitiness continues some hop bitterness and some sweetness from the fennel, with tartness from the wheat. The finish is long and designed to stimulate the appetite and thirst with fennel notes coming through towards the end.

	SHARP'S BREWERY
	Established by Bill Sharp in 1994, Sharp's Brewery, based at Rock, North Cornwall, is one of the UK's most successful and dynamic regional breweries. Its flagship brand, Doom Bar bitter (4%) is sold in more than 1,000 directly-supplied pubs, clubs and restaurants in the south of England. At this year's Great British Beer Festival Doom Bar won a bronze award.

Rick explained that the idea for the beer came about his son Edward spent time at Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's farm cookery school. Hugh is a well-known champion of local suppliers and ingredients.

Partial to beer himself - in his programmes you'll often see him sitting down to a meal with a pint - Rick starting talking to Sharp's about coming up with a beer that would complement his fish dishes, but also be a showcase for Cornish ingredients and brewing expertise.

The key to the flavour was getting just the right amount of fennel in the mix. Too little and it becomes a pointless ingredient; too much and it can just overpower the taste. It was while tasting samples in a taxi on the way the airport for an Australian trip that Rick finally gave the thumbs-up to what was to become Chalky's Bite.

"There are so many elements of this beer that really impress me," said Rick. "The Belgium style brings the subtle fennel and hop flavours to the fore, yet the beer is also distinctively English and very much a product of Sharp's Brewery.

"Working on this project with Sharp's Brewery's head brewer Stuart Howe has reinforced my belief in the abundant and highly-skilled talent that exists here in the UK. Stuart's genuine passion,knowledge and integrity for the art of brewing was one of the main reasons that this partnership worked so well."

Key to the success of the project was the skill and dedicated of Sharp's head brewer, Stuart Howe. Formerly of McMullen's and Brakspear's Stuart has been inspirational at Sharp's since his arrival, introducing the Atlantic IPA (4.8%) for instance, a most un-Sharp's-like beer at its launch, but now an important brand for the brewery.

Of the development of Chalky's Bite, he recalls: "I wanted to go for something a bit stronger - a bit more like a wine." Past experience working for a Belgian brewery taught him the essentials necessary to have a go at that style himself.

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	l Sharp's head brewer Stuart Howe gives a tutored tasting of Chalky's Bite

He added: "With Chalky's Bite I was very keen to combine a number of techniques and ingredients that not only utilised my skills but reflected the Cornish location of the brewery, as well as traditional brewing methods."

Cornish malted barley provides the basis for the brew. The only non-Cornish ingredients are the hops which can't be sourced locally. These are Styrian and Goldings in the lagering tank - the brew enjoys a long fermentation to give it it full, complex flavour - and Hallertau Brewers Gold for bittering at the end of the brew.

Nick Baker, managing director of Sharp's, added: "We are exceptionally proud of Chalky's Bite, which sets news standards and expectations of what the brewery can achieve and how it develops.

"Working with Rick Stein has enabled us to produce this very different beer which combines English methods and Cornish ingredients in a Belgian style which will appeal to a wide range of people."