OnTap Magazine

ANEL DU PREEZ Food has always been my passion so it’s just natural that I am a beer and wine lover too! After working in Lifestyle Television for years it was the show DIS! that convinced me to become qualified in culinary arts and I qualified at The Hurst Campus in 2018. While working in the kitchen at Glen Carlou I entered the One&Only Reaching for Young Stars 2018 competition. I won first place in the bread baking competition and spent 6 months as a pastry chef at Winslow’s Tavern in Wellfleet, USA. With the pandemic changing the world, Cactus Craft was created and I started as the store manager in the Pretoria warehouse where my beer journey started off. Once we expanded to Cape Town I had the pleasure of returning to my favourite city in the country and I am now the regional manager in the Western Cape. CAPE TOWN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER AT CACTUS CRAFT BEER MEETS FOOD IRISH CREAM ALE & PULLED PORK BAO BUNS They say, taste begins with your eyes. That is why this combination is so good. Other than the aesthetically pleasing aspect, the flavours of these individual products are delectable. This nitro-poured beer makes it fascinating to watch as the bubbles cascade to form a creamy head with a silky-smooth texture. This is an easy- drinking beer, smooth in texture, great in flavour and delicate in carbonation. I paired this beautiful beer with one of my favourite dishes, Pulled Pork Bao Buns. The malty flavours in the beer contrast the crunchy pickled veggies, whilst complimenting the complex flavours of the braised pulled pork. The soft steamed buns match the texture of the Cream Ale with a toasty finish tomake this a perfectly balanced pairing; it has smooth and rough textures, sweet, savoury, and a hint of acidic flavours that are subtly exposed to your palate. By Anél Du Preez When wine and food pairings are available on every (second) wine farm, it is probably time for us to pay more attention to the amazing flavour combinations out there when we start pairing well-made food with specially crafted beer. Here are a few of my tried and tested pairings to get you excited. FOOD PAIRING WHY ISN’T THIS MORE OF A THING? THAT BREWING CO. 38 | Autumn 2023 | ontapmag.co.za