SOMEWHERE along the way, the British lost the art for mixing good ale with fine food.

Like those mysterious human senses of survival in the wild which have evaporated since getting used to the closeted urban environment, our appreciation of ale and nosh has disappeared in a welter of cheese and wine parties and snooty sniffs from the chattering classes.

But, in the past couple of years there has been a reversal in our attitudes towards the palatable delight that comes from combining beer and food, a taste which our Continental cousins have always had.

As an example, on a recent press trip to Antwerp - now easily reached through John Lennon airport - the locals never wasted an opportunity to eulogise about their love of fine ales and cuisine where a whole evening would regularly be spent down the hostelry taking time in between intelligent conversation to savour both.

Fiona Watkin, landlady of Thomas Rigby's of Dale Street, is one of the Liverpudlians in the vanguard of fanning the flames of this culinary love affair in our city. And it's a growing appreciation that is not confined to real ale enthusiasts and ever-so-precious trendies, but ordinary Scousers who are really getting the taste for it.

For instance, all the dishes on Rigby's acclaimed menu are matched with beers personally chosen by Fiona.

"I've tasted them all first myself - it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it," says Fiona, whose first commanding officer in the food stakes is chef Tommy Rockliffe, who has won the Beer and Food Matching Experience national title at the annual awards of brewers' bible The Publican for the second year running.

Since the recent takeover of The Courtyard restaurant next door, they've utilised the extra space and more intimate ambience to bring their love for ale and food to a different audience.

It was first showcased a couple of months back in a special five-course meal with each dish served with two British real ales from which the diners had to choose the best match.

This week they staged a second one, only this time the five courses were matched with Continental beers. Just how seriously the exercise was taken was reflected in the guest speakers who addressed the sell-out event. Among them was a visitor from California, Steve Goodman, founder of the Sierra Nevada Brewery.

Their wondrously perkily strong Pale Ale was one of the hits of the night when it was matched with corn-fed chicken breast with dolcelatte cheese, sun blush tomato puree, pan-roasted new potatoes in thyme and sea salt, and Mediterranean vegetables. (I can hear you slobbering from here).

But apart from the food and drink, the star of the show was Roger Protz, founder of the British Guild of Beer Writers and editor of the Good Beer Guide.

Roger, who occupies almost demi-god status in the ale appreciation stakes, said that he grew up in the East End of London where the Sunday roast was always accompanied by a bottle of beer that would always be standing next to his Dad's dinner plate.

"Somewhere in the '60s and '70s, we lost that tradition of serving beer with our food," said the beer evangelist, who said that he'd enjoyed a superb evening of wonderful food and drink.

He added: "The problem with us dear old Brits is we take the things we do well for granted whereas the likes of the Belgians, who take an enormous pride in their beer and food, never fail to tell everybody about it."

Liverpool is making sure that this is all about to change.

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