BrewDog India has taken the culinary enthusiasts in the UK on a one-of-a-kind journey with the launch of ‘The Tadka Trail Supper Club’ at BrewDog UK, where love for beer and passion for food intertwines together in a never seen manner. BrewDog has been on a quest to discover some of the greatest beer and food on the planet, and so it comes as no surprise that BrewDog India will present its unique Indian culinary classics to its UK audience, and share their experience with Indian cuisine in an immersive manner.

The food maestros Chef Gaurav and Chef Roshan, have curated a special limited edition menu comprising classic Indian dishes with a modern twist, that will leave one’s palate wanting some more. Each lip-smacking dish on the menu is paired with BrewDog’s most well-loved beers, mindfully creating a unique experience for everyone who chooses to be a part of this journey. What’s more? The brewing team led by Paddy Gardiner has brewed special beers with authentic Indian ingredients like coriander etc. to pair with the dishes.

To know more about ‘The Tadka Trail Supper Club’ we’ve explored an interview opportunity with Chef Roshan and Chef Gaurav Gidwani who’s a well-known face in the F&B Industry over the past 17 years. Here’s what they had to say about their trip to the BrewDog Bars in the UK.

What is ‘The Tadka Trail Supper Club’? Walk us through your experience from BrewDog UK bars.

Chef Gaurav: Supper club was a walkthrough of three different destinations. We started from Waterloo, and went to Ellon – which is the headquarter of BD and then Manchester. We had a very simple menu where we stuck to the authentic flavors of Indian food without tweaking it for the UK palate. Also looking at the cooking constraints and getting the depth of flavors and intensity of the gravies to match the authentic Indian flavor profile.

We cooked our gravies for about 7-8 hours and more in different places because of the temperature variance. We carried masalas from here. We also served some dishes in clay pots that we carried from here. Like the Phirni Crème Brulee, which was our take on the traditional Crème Brulee and it was served in a traditional clay pot!

What have you been exploring recently with beer and food pairing?

Chef Gaurav: As far as the beer and food pairing is concerned, we’ve been exploring beers with a lot of seasonal fruits and seasonal flavors. So, we’re trying to play around with hyper-local flavors. For e.g On Mother’s Day, we did a Mawa Cake French Toast with caramelized mangoes and raspberry Brulee. We keep exploring such flavors when it comes to beer and food pairings!

Do you have any guidance for pairing principles with BrewDog’s beers?

Chef Gaurav: As far as the beer and food pairing principles are concerned, we look at the consumption markets. In India, we see a great consumption pattern of wheat followed by lager and stouts. We have Insta Cloud, our wheat beer which has lovely notes of orange, mandarin, and cilantro…its very citrusy and herbaceous notes that goes very well with Indian palates and kebabs etc.

The lager – a very refreshing one – Sudoku Rice Lager – pairs very well with Pan-Asian food that we have on the menu like baos, dimsums, street style Chinese that we have. And the stout has beautiful chocolate and coffee flavors that could be beautifully paired with the sundae that is there we have on the menu the brownie Sunday that we have, which has flavors of Madagascar chocolate, salted caramel and chocolate chip cookie and brownie that is there on the menu. These are the major things and principles that we hold onto based on the consumption market.

Where do you draw your culinary inspirations from?

Chef Roshan: Culinary trends are forever evolving. As the patrons are more aware now being well traveled and well read. It is important to meet their expectations and leave a stamp of the chef’s authenticity and interpretation of the cuisine on their hearts. My time with regional Indian cuisines through my travel inspired me to showcase techniques and ingredients on the world stage.

Why, in your opinion, should bars, pubs and microbreweries pay just as much attention to their food menu selections as they do to their beer menu?

Chef Roshan: In Indian culture we like to dine without drinks. With a plethora of eating options, one should be careful to pair it with the beers as the experience of different styles of beer changes with the type of food – creamy, spicy, etc. The perfect pairing on the table gives an exceptional experience.

What’s your all-time favorite beer and food pair?

Chef Roshan: My favorite is The Patriot Burger along with Punk IPA. The meat caramelization along with pickles go really well with citrus aroma and tangerine notes from punk IPA.