How Porter Ale Got Its Name!
NEW: Steak & Ale Pasties!
You lot know our Steak Pasty - 16 Great Taste Awards, chunks of proper steak, pastry golden enough to make you sigh... But we’ve gone and added a little something special: Porter Ale!!
Yep, you heard right - you can now grab a Box of 3 Steak & Ale Pasties!
This pasty first made waves at the Salcombe Taphouse, paired with pints of Salcombe Brewery’s own porter. It went down so well we thought, “Why keep all the goodness to ourselves?” So, we’ve baked up a limited stock for all you lot to get a taste!!
Think of it as your favourite Steak Pasty with a malty, slightly sweet, proper West Country porter kick. But what exactly is porter?
Glad you asked! Pull up a chair, this one’s worth knowing...
The History of Porter: Dark Beer with a Proper Story
Porter has a story as rich as its taste!! It started in 18th-century London, where the city’s street porters - the hard-working folks carrying sacks along the Thames - needed a drink that was filling, nourishing, and refreshing!
Water in those days? Not exactly the safest bet 😬 THAT'S where porter came in, a dark, malty beer that was low enough in alcohol but high in flavour and nutrients. Perfect for a long day’s graft!
FUN FACT: To this day, porter beers contain high levels of antioxidants due to their roasted malt content, which can provide health benefits like inhibiting protein glycation and supporting gut health!!

According to beer legend, the name comes from those very porters, who made it the drink of choice at markets, docks, and pubs around Covent Garden. And while they were quenching their thirst, they were also getting a little fuel for the day. Proper ingenuity!
By the 1720s, Ralph Harwood, a brewer in Shoreditch, had the bright idea to blend different beers together to create something stronger, tastier, and more consistent. 😀 That blend became what we now know as porter!!
Within a few decades, it was everywhere in London, from pubs to homes, exported across the UK and even to Ireland and the Americas. It was the 18th-century version of a blockbuster hit!!

Porter is the granddad of modern stouts. It’s roasty, slightly sweet, and comforting, a beer you can sip while watching the sun set over the docks… or while taking a bite out of a pasty!
Which brings us neatly to…
Why It Works in a Pasty
Our Steak Pasty is already stacked with generous chunks of steak, swede, potato, and onion, all wrapped in that flaky, golden pastry you know and love.
Add a splash of Salcombe Brewery's porter, and suddenly it’s like the pasty went to finishing school!
The maltiness of the beer lifts the beef, adds a hint of sweetness, and gives the whole thing a rich, warming depth.
Think of it as the Steak Pasty you know and love, but with a cheeky wink and a nod from history. Best steak pasty in town? We’d say yes. Best steak pasty with a porter twist?
Definitely!
Limited Stock – Don’t Hang About
We’re only baking a short run, so if you fancy trying the Steak & Ale Pasty, don’t dilly-dally. Once they’re gone, that’s it.
Intrigued? Grab one while you can!!
Go on - Take a Chunk!


