Manchester Union Brewery
Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor
Manchester Union Brewery’s latest supper club was a resounding success, proving yet again that beer is a perfect accompaniment to a good meal. The ‘Ferments and Flowers’ menu highlighted the power of fermentation at the table, with no expense spared.
To kick the night off, we were treated to a selection of soft cheeses along with Bread Flower’s own sourdough and rye bread, alongside a healthy serving of cultured butter and pickles. Their choice of pickling shallots was familiar enough, though the use of pickled celeriac was a welcome change from the usual touch of sharpness you would find on these kinds of rustic boards. To match the rich flavours we were treated to Manchester Union Brewery’s signature lager – a bright and silky brew with a slight bitterness, that worked wonders with the breads and pickles.
Put this supper club at the top of your eat-out list
Next, a plateful of either slow-cooked beef brisket or braised mushrooms, both with a serving of creamy mash, sauerkraut and a heap of moreish pickled red onions. This was a main course designed to warm the soul as we head into winter. The sauerkraut and pickled red onions demonstrated how fermentation can create small but mighty parts of a meal. Each bite added a pleasant sharpness that would be difficult to recreate any other way. This course was served with the malty Manchester Union Bock Beer. As rich and flavourful as the slow-cooked main, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better beer to pair.
Closing the meal was a perfect cube of semolina cake, soaked in rose and cardamom syrup and topped with a pale ale cream cheese frosting. The subtle floral hints from the rose syrup were a revelation and the garnish of edible flowers made for a picture-perfect ending to the night. To go with it we had Manchester Union Brewery’s sweeter Alt Beer. Complementary to the dessert’s flavour profile and an easy sipper, it was another superb example of the care and attention gone into the design and structure of the entire meal.
Although this was only the second of Manchester Union Brewery’s supper clubs, their track record so far has been second to none. If you want a meal a little different from the usual and a fascinating mini brewery tour to go with it, put this supper club at the top of your eat-out list.
