Do pork scratchings REALLY improve a pint ?

September 2026. Sheffield.

There’s some great Proper Pubs™ just above West Street in Sheffield studentland (also home to its best Asian restaurants). Some, like the Grapes and Perch and Fagans flit in and out of the Beer Guide; the Dog & Partridge and Red Deer the perennnial entries.

Until recently, when the Red Deer seemed set on a roundabout of managerial changes to rival Watford.

I hadn’t popped in since the latest custodians took over, but a couple of Untappd scores from that very afternoon drew me in on the walk home.

Not a thrilling beer line-up for folk who like thrills, but get Old Peculier right and you’re half-way there; same with Black Sheep,

And this was a majestic Old Peculier. Cool, rich, chewy; a top rating of EXCELLENT that requires me to attend a CAMRA investigatory panel headed by Lord Pannick KC.

At the bar a German lad asks for “a typical English beer“. Confused by the response of “Heineken” he says “Something dark, perhaps ?“, and finally settles on the very Old Peculier I’m drinking. “It’s quite strong” I say, pathetically.

I match my beer with the very pork scratchings from Midland Snacks that are being advertised in CAMRA’s glossy BEER magazine with a huge scientific claim;

And you’ll see the FACT in capital letters bottom left to prove it, though I note it refers to lager in the report.

Anyway, I’m happy to confirm that Midland Snacks make some of the very best scratchings, though I’ll also note that regular BEER correspondent Paul Mudge confirmed the deleterious effect on head retention (see : Lincoln, 2024*).

Who says this blog doesn’t take science seriously ?

*But also, see Killamarsh. Or don’t. I don’t care.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

22 thoughts on “Do pork scratchings REALLY improve a pint ?”

  2. Old Peculier is lovely although I don’t think that I would describe it as a typical English beer. However I think that it is classed as an old ale so is probably now in season. Also I am always suspicious of anything described as “fact”.

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  3. Pork scratches carry several notable downsides. They are incredibly calorie-dense and composed of roughly 50% fat, which can easily drive weight gain if overeaten. Packed with heavy seasoning, they also contain excessive sodium that can lead to high blood pressure and increased heart health risks over time. Beyond nutrition, their physical density poses a practical danger; because they are made from hard pig shank rind, they are notoriously tough and create a genuine risk of cracking or breaking teeth. Additionally, as a processed meat snack, past factory contamination outbreaks have occasionally linked them to salmonella poisoning.

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      1. No, the fishy bits pass through the beer and settle at the bottom of the barrel. So they’re not technically *in* the beer.

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      2. What expertise we have on this blog.

        Did you see the rave reviews for the Old Peculier in the Red Deer, Will ? Sadly the pub itself has lost a bit of the character I remember.

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      3. Yes, I’m very envious of your Old Peculier. I’ve been in twice since the latest reopening, and it wasn’t on either time. On the second occasion three out of the five beers on were Boltmaker, 6X and Old Speckled Hen. I’d challenge even Paul Mudge to pick those correctly in a blind tasting.

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