We love coming up with new stuff, there’s naan-thing quite like it! That’s why we were so excited to launch our new Naan Laager last month.

As far as we know, it’s a world’s first beer made from unsold and wonky naan we rescued from a naan bread manufacturer in the UK. It is deliciously clean and refreshing, using the slightly aromatic elements of a good naan to deliver a beer that’s a perfect pairing with spicy food

Inspired by Hari Ghotra (or more accurately her husband)

Indeed, it’s been quite a long time brewing. The first nugget of an idea came one hot summer day a few years ago in a park in Reigate.

We were running a bar at a festival where the very talented chef and writer of many delicious Indian cookbooks, Hari Ghotra, was giving a cooking demonstration to the crowds.

Her husband, Jeremy, had popped over to our bar to enjoy a spot of liquid refreshment. As his thirst was quenched by a delicious pint of our Bloomin’ Amber Lager he said “you should make a beer from naan bread”. An idea was born.

What followed was a longer than expected journey. First challenge was to find a source of naan that would otherwise be wasted.

We approached several curry houses but there simply wasn’t enough waste at a restaurant level. The key came when we spoke to naan manufacturers and retailers. Sure enough ‘wonky’ naans that didn’t make the grade in production and unsold naans left on retailers’ shelves proved a great source of waste.

The role of Nigella (the seed, not the chef)

Armed with several hundred kilos of wonky and unsold plain naans we then set about recipe development.  This was interesting as, to be honest, a classic ‘curry house’ lager isn’t the most complex of beers.

Just like the delicacy of the flavours in her delicious recipes, Hari advised that the key came in subtle ingredients.  It turned out, for us, this was the humble Nigella seed. These are the tiny little black seeds that give naan unique peppery notes. That fresh, slightly aromatic taste worked brilliantly with a light lager recipe. Giving the beer a deliciously refreshing, almost floral finish.

We are so pleased with the outcome.  With Hari and Jeremy’s support we’re bringing you a magnificent brew that cuts through spice beautifully and will be a real crowd pleaser.  And, like all our beers, you’re also helping fight the battle of food waste. It’s a win-win!

We’re convinced that this Naan beer really will become an alternative to the usual beers offered with Indian food. Not just because we all love a challenger product but because it tastes beautiful and, to be honest, the competition needs a bit of a shake up!

You can get your hands on some at our web shop and growing number of pubs and Indian restaurants over the coming months. For a limited time only we are also bundling a case of our Naan Laager with a signed copy Hari’s latest book “Indian for Everyone”. With over 100 curries, daals, and other classic Indian dishes it’s the perfect way to explore making your own delicious Indian food (while sipping a cold Naan Laager obviously)

Also, keep your eyes peeled for some pop-up beer and curry events. We’ve already been lucky enough to serve our Naan Laager alongside a delicious eight course tasting menu developed by renowned Chef Jitin Joshi and we’ve got several other collaborations brewing.

We’re so grateful to the inspiration Hari & Jeremy gave us all those years ago on a hot summer afternoon. Good things always start over a beer!