Think of it as Taste Idol: one lucky person will have a chance to join Greene King’s official tasting panel following the Test your Tastebuds challenge taking place at the St Edmunds Real Beer & Food Festival on 21–22 May
“We are simply on a mission to find Britain’s top taster – young or old, male or female, ale aficionados or complete beginners,” says Susan Chisholm, Greene King’s head beer taster, pictured. “The key is a highly tuned palate but you don’t need to be an ale lover to do it. Some of our tasters had never even drunk a full pint of beer before they joined the panel.”
The last year has seen the emergence of a new style of British cooking: menus to match English & Welsh wine. Admittedly our wines are not the ideal partners for traditional pub food or Sunday roasts, but it’s great to see real attention being paid to their elegant flavours. Instead of fobbing off those choosing English wine with tasteless options, chefs like James Robson at Artisan & Vine in Battersea are seeking out the subtlety of seasonal ingredients to match the eloquence of the whites, pinks, reds and, of course, bubbles currently on offer.
Don't let anyone tell you that vines are only grown in the southern counties. Those within striking distance of Sheffield and Nottingham should hotfoot it to the majestic surroundings of Renishaw Hall for their taste of English Wine Week – but don’t delay: its 
Cementing its reputation as a leading English wine specialist, the award-winning 
Biodynamics takes centre-stage at English-wine specialist Artisan & Vine on Wednesday 18 May when wine producer and author Monty Waldin takes to the chair. In the second of its groundbreaking Natural Heroes series, Monty acts as curator, selecting a few of the UK’s leading organic and biodynamic wines to share alongside his own red from Tuscany.
Along with the growth of small drinks producers up and down the land, artisan cheesemaking is seeing a strong revival. Julian Barnes, winemaker at Biddenden Vineyards has joined with local award-winners, Winterdale Cheesemakers so you can find out how both cheese and wine are made.