For beer lovers in France

Following a blind tasting of 262 beers at the Salon d’Agriculture in Paris, 21 medals were awarded to the northern breweries of France. My own particular favourite is the Ch’ti brand, which Sainsburys rebranded and sold in the UK.


Gold medal :


D-Day (Christophe Noyon Brasseur, Tardinghen)


Blonde de Ch’Nord (Brasserie de Saint-Omer)


Silver medal :


Goudale de Noël (Brasseurs de Gayant, Douai)


Blanche des 3 Brasseurs (Les 3 Brasseurs, Lille)


Blonde des 3 Brasseurs (Les 3 Brasseurs, Lille)


Page 24 Blanche (Brasserie Saint-Germain, Aix-Noulette)


Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Blonde (Brasserie Saint-Germain, Aix-Noulette)


Page 24 Triple (Brasserie Saint-Germain, Aix-Noulette)


Page 24 Brune (Brasserie Saint-Germain, Aix-Noulette)


Ch’ti Triple (Brasserie Castelain, Bénifontaine)


Premium Lager (Brasserie de Saint-Omer)


L’Estaminet (Brasserie des Sources, Saint-Amand-les-Eaux)


Bronze medal :


Ch’ti Ambrée (Brasserie Castelain, Bénifontaine)


Ch’ti Blonde (Brasserie Castelain, Bénifontaine)


Jenlain Ambrée (Brasserie Duyck, Jenlain)


Jenlain Blonde (Brasserie Duyck, Jenlain)


Blanche de Wissant (Christophe Noyon Brasseur, Tardinghen)


Lepers 8° (Brasserie Angelus Lepers, La Chapelle d’Armentières)


Triple Secret des Moines (Brasseurs de Gayant, Douai)


Anosteke Brune (Brasserie du Pays Flamand, Blaringhem)


Bracine Brune (Brasserie du Pays Flamand, Blaringhem)


See http://nord-pas-de-calais.france3.fr/2014/02/25/21-bieres-du-nord-pas-de-calais-recompensees-au-concours-general-agricole-2014-422545.html for the whole article

There is a beer making section of SFN so we are not completely alone John. The one thing I have really missed in France is being able to pop down to the local pub, to have an informal meal and to enjoy a pint of draught bitter. Instead I have a cupboard full of various brews from our visits back to the UK.

Beer snobbery has raised its ugly head there too! Apparently there are some micro-breweries which are producing crafted ales selling for up to £30 per bottle. (perhaps you have do sample in the same way as wine!)

That's handy to know Kenneth, Lidl have a similar I mean. I will give that a try next trip.

It will be interesting to see if you get many responses, Too many wine snobs around who reject the art of beer making as some working class slop not for their refined palates. Of course to actually sample wine properly you must suck air through the lips to bring out the full in depth flavours, I always find that goes down so well in restaurants ;-)

hi John - thank you for the suggestion - Leader Price beer Abbaye Mont St Jean. Lidl also stock a similar beer called Abbaye de Vauclair. Since we live on the Belgian border we are not far from Chimay nor from Orval - and we can buy Trappist beers there cheaper than in France.

Medals or not, I enjoy the dark bierre from Leader price, the one with the Abbey on the label. It's pretty strong so no driving afterwards but great full flavoured brew