Did you know The Picturedrome in Macclesfield has a beer exclusive to it?

And it is not one you can find at their bar.

The mussel stout is a 4.5% dark ale you can buy at SAVAGES, the mussel bar and The Picturedrome's only outdoor vendor.

The beer can be bought only at the Chestergate food hall or online - and would make a great stocking filler this Christmas.

Chef Jamie Savage with the SAVAGES stout. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

Macclesfield chef and food entrepreneur Jamie Savage (36) came up with the idea, and it was this ingenuity which saw him feature on a Gordon Ramsay TV show earlier in the year.

The Macclesfield resident explained how the concept for the drink came about.

"I've always wanted to do it," said Jamie.

"There are loads of oyster stouts out there, so I thought why not do it with mussels.

You can buy the mussel stout at SAVAGES, or on the red link at the bottom of this article. (Image - Claire Harrison Photography)

"It has an incredible umami, meaty and salty flavour to it. It is smooth easy drinking.

"It goes really well with my chilli lemon and garlic mussels with bread. The spicy food pairs perfectly with the stout."

Despite the mussels being from the English coastline, what many people may not know is that the mussel stout is actually brewed just down the road from Macclesfield.

Cheshire brewers Tom's Tap and Brewhouse make the seafood-twinged drink at their an on-site brewery, but you can't buy the cans of mussel stout there, making it a Picturedrome Macclesfield exclusive.

The mollusc-powered tipple also comes with a Spotify playlist, to represent the can not being a 'one-hit wonder', with the moreish nature of it. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

Sean Ayling (55) brews the beer at his family business located on Thomas Street in Crewe.

"Jamie came to me as I have a reputation of brewing dark beers", said Sean.

"He wanted it to be local and on a small scale, and we fit that bill. While I knew oysters were traditionally used in making beer, this was the first time I had used seafood in beer before.

"The most interesting thing about it is that I would say the biggest contribution of the flavour comes from the shells, not the mussel meat.

Crewe businessman Sean Ayling brews the mussel stout for Macclesfield chef Jamie Savage. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

"It is a really fun brew to do, but a bit messy to clear up afterwards. First we weigh the English grains and turn the hot liquor tank on. We then recirculate the water and mash it to convert the starch into sugar.

"Then we rinse the sugars off the grain and bring it to the boil. Once it comes to temperature, we add hops for bittering to off the sweetness of the wort and sterilise it.

"Now it is time to add the mussels. We put them in a net bag and put it in the wort for the last 15 minutes of the boil.

"What that does is again sterilises everything, without driving off all the flavour. Boiled at 104 celsius.

There is the equivalent to two mussels per can, but there is no shells or flesh in the drink. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

"You then go from that into a fermenter and chuck the yeast in, which as a byproduct creates the alcohol. From raw ingredients to can the process takes three weeks.

"The taste is predominantly a saltiness from the shells, and umami from the meat. The dark grains really carry other flavours well, that's one of the reasons why I love dark beer.

"You can get halfway down a can and think, I could do with another one of those.

"I also get notes of chocolate, coffee and a bit of burnt toast from the roasted barley."

The stout pictured with other SAVAGES merchandise, plus merchandise of other vendors at The Picturedrome. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

The mussel stout is part of the merchandise store for the Macclesfield mussel bar.

Since his appearance on Gordon Ramsay's Future Food Stars, Jamie has had customers from all over the country come to try his food and of course, the mussel stout.

"We had someone in the other day who said they drove 160 miles to come here", added Jamie.

"There's nowhere in Manchester that specialise with mussels, so to have people come here for our niche product means a lot to me."

Jamie came close to winning an £150,000 investment from Gordon Ramsay, as a contestant on 'Gordon Ramsay's Future Food Stars'. (Image - Claire Harrison Photography)

So whether it is a present for Christmas or just curiosity for yourself, why not support this Cheshire product when you next fancy an adventurous beer.

You can buy individual cans for £4.50 at SAVAGES at The Picturedrome Macclesfield, or buy six for £27 online and get them delivered to your door.

Elsewhere, Jamie's business has been included within The Picturedrome's new 'kids eat for a fiver' offer.

Follow SAVAGES and The Picturedrome Macclesfield on Facebook, and support the mussel stout brewer by clicking here.

Savages Mussels was set up in 2018, and was one of the founding stores of The Picturedrome in October 2019. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

And if you are buying this as a Christmas present, why not buy a card to go with it?

Click here to find about the Macclesfield-themed Christmas cards that are raising money for charity.

See Also: Local pizzeria Honest Crust raises £1500 for baby charity Smile Macclesfield

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