Food and Beer Matching to Promote Destinations: A Central and Eastern European Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to determine and evaluate Central and Eastern European (CEE) consumers’ food and beer matching preferences with a view to encouraging tourism stakeholders to promote local destinations. A literature review determined the characteristics of beer that interacted with different types of food and revealed issues for consideration when matching beer with food. A series of tasting sessions was conducted with 214 hospitality and tourism, food and beverage educators and industrialists from six CEE countries, comprising roughly equal numbers of males and females aged from 20 to 64. Seven foods (oily, acidic, salty, mild and spicy high protein, high fat, sweet) were offered alongside seven styles of beer. The tasters’ preferred matches were recorded. The most popular match (67.3%) was dark chocolate with Belgian fruit beer followed by sausages with both Bohemian pilsner and Hefeweizen beer. Every beer was matched by some tasters with every food; the least popular match (7.5%) was spicy meatballs with Belgian fruit beer. Further research into food and beer matching is recommended to validate the findings and to benefit publicans and restaurateurs. As it focuses on food and beer matching, as opposed to pairing, is located in CEE and suggests ways in which microbreweries in CEE can promote health and sustainable tourism, the research is original. Recommendations are made for stakeholders including the managers of F&B outlets and destination managers, who are advised to operationalise sense of place by developing a unique, dedicated toolkit to inform destination branding, and for further research.