We tried a Supercook recipe called Seaman’s Stew. Despite the title it was not fish-based. It was beef and potatoes stewed in pale ale. We used a tin of John Smith’s Bitter. The beef was tender and tasty but we were not impressed with the flavours of the sauce. We drank a bottle of Promenade Côtes du Rhône Villages 2008 from Tesco. Fortunately, this versatile medium-bodied red went well with the stew and salvaged something from a not too brilliant food experience.