New wheat beer uses leftover bread from artisan bakeries
In the UK we throw away seven million tonnes of food and drink waste worth £12.5 billion every year, the majority of which can still be eaten or used. The foods wasted the most are fresh vegetables and salad, drink, fresh fruit and bakery items such as bread and cakes.
Panther Brewery launches real ale Bread & Bitter
However, Reepham-based Panther Brewery has been hard at work thinking of ways to reduce food waste. “We were inspired after watching Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty on TV, who featured a bread beer as part of their campaign to reduce food waste,” said head brewer Martin James. “So we came up with our own version.”
Norfolk is a major producer of barley, wheat and rye, which are key components for the production of beer – and for baking bread. Panther put two and two together and decided to use surplus bread from artisan Norfolk bakers, such as Bread Source and Pye Baker, in a beer.
The result is Bread & Bitter, an amber-coloured wheat beer that is brewed substituting more than 20% of the malted barley with bread and then adding a blend of German and American hops to give it a malty and citrusy finish.
The brewery’s waste grain is then given to a local farmer, who uses it to feed his livestock. Bread Source baker Steven Winter has also used some of the beer in his bread, helping to minimise waste – and producing tasty bread.