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Artisanal Beer & Farmhouse Cheese: a Taste of Glasgow & the Clyde Valley
Made from Grapes, Glasgow
2024
In 2024, Slow Food Glasgow and Made from Grapes hosted a compelling two-part tasting series celebrating the diversity of Scotland’s artisanal cheese and craft beer. Inspired by an Alpine pairing session at the Slow Cheese Festival in 2023, the events brought together local producers to explore flavour synergies unique to the Clyde Valley.
Attendees were guided through tastings featuring beers from Glasgow’s Dookit Brewery, Simple Things Fermentations, Up Front Brewing, and Epochal Brewery, each showcasing distinct styles. These were paired with handcrafted cheeses from Errington Cheese and Dunlop Dairy.
Through sensory exploration and conversations with the makers, participants gained insight into production processes, ingredient sourcing, and the ethos behind each product. These sessions exemplified Slow Food’s mission to reconnect people with local food systems, deepening appreciation for Scotland’s producing processes through taste, storytelling, and community.
Thanks to Severine of Made from Grapes for her behind the scenes work of pairing these gems for us, and to her team, Tom, Liam and Laura for looking after us all.
Tasting No. 1: Dookit Brewery, Simple Things Fermentations and Errington Cheese
10 October 2024FEATURED BREWERIES:
Dookit Brewery
A hidden gem in the heart of Glasgow, Dookit Brewery run by Harry Weskin, is known for their high-quality, low-intervention beers. Made with locally sourced ingredients, their brews are a celebration of Scottish flavors.
Simple Things Fermentations
With a passion for quality, tradition, and innovation, Simple Things Fermentations produces unique and flavorful beers that challenge the norm. Philip Sisson's commitment to using high-quality ingredients and traditional brewing techniques results in exceptional brews that are sure to impress.
FEATURED CHEESEMAKER:
Errington Cheese
A multi-generational farmhouse cheese producer based in the picturesque upper Clyde valley, Errington Cheese has been crafting award-winning cheeses for over 30 years. Their commitment to traditional methods and the use of high-quality milk from their own flocks ensures that their cheeses are of the highest quality.
6 incredible cheeses introduced by Selina from Errington Cheese, paired beautifully with 6 mind-blowing beers by Harry and Phil of Dookit Brewery and Simple Things Fermentations, giving us a taste of something we’ve never quite had before. Who needs wine from Europe when we’ve got such incredible beers right here in Scotland?
It was such an enriching experience having the producers there to tell us what goes into producing this artisan beer and farmhouse cheese. Stories are what connect us to what we eat and drink. By telling them more, we’re reconnecting with the people, place and culture where they’re situated.
Tasting No. 2: Upfront Brewery, Epochal Brewery and Dunlop Dairy
20 November 2022FEATURED BREWERIES:
Epochal Brewery
Epochal is a specialist in barrel-fermented stock pale ales, table beers, porters, stouts, and Scotch ales. Founded by Gareth Young in 2021, the brewery is dedicated to crafting beer that embodies a strong sense of place. This is achieved through the use of local barley, a distinctive house microflora, the region’s unique Scottish water, the influence of climate on the aging process, and inspiration from traditional Scottish brewing practices.
Upfront Brewing
Upfront is an independent craft brewery in known for its bold and flavorful beers. Founded by award-winning beer-maker and Neuroscience PhD Jake Griffin, the brewery produces small-batch ales, IPAs, and stouts, including the iconic Das Ist Techno Sex. Often featuring striking artwork on its cans, Jake is dedicated to quality, creativity, and innovation, offering unique craft beers to enthusiasts.
FEATURED CHEESEMAKER:
Dunlop Dairy
Dunlop Dairy is a small, family-run farm and cheesemaking operation located in Ayrshire, Scotland. Renowned for its artisanal cheeses, the dairy specializes in traditional Scottish cheeses made from the milk of its own herd of cows and goats. One of its signature products is the Dunlop cheese, a rich, creamy, traditional Scottish cheddar-style cheese, which has historical roots in the region back to the 17thC. The dairy places a strong emphasis on quality, sustainability, and the use of local ingredients, offering a range of cheeses that reflect the flavors and traditions of Ayrshire.
The beer and cheese was other-worldly, most likely in part due to each of their curious journeys through life and education to beer and cheese. Ann wasn’t able to join us as the Dunlop team is extremely small, however to have Jake and Gareth explain their brewing journey proved a really enriching experience. Their fascination for other passions in their life clearly influence and inspire their passion for unusual and experimental brewing methods.
We could go on and on about these two, but we’d recommend getting in touch with them directly for a beer to hear it from the source.
We really hope these tastings proved to be an enriching experience for everyone attending. The aim is to build stronger connections with local producers using local ingredients and both traditional and experimental production methods, reconnecting us with the people, culture and history of the places we inhabit.