- Alastair Scott took home allergy test after feeling tired and unwell
- The pub landlord was shocked when he discovered he was allergic to wheat – a key ingredient in beer
- But the defiant ale lover insists he will continue to drink
By
Conor Sheils
11:12 EST, 12 April 2013
|
11:48 EST, 12 April 2013
Â
Publican Alastair Scott discovered he was allergic to beer after taking an allergy test
A pub landlord who tastes ales for a living has discovered he is allergic to BEER.
Alastair Scott was the first in the UK to qualify as a beer sommelier after it became a recognised qualification two years ago.
However, after working in the pub industry for more than 20 years, he was devastated to find out he couldn’t stomach beer any longer.
Alistair took a home intolerance test after feeling unwell for months but was shocked to find that this was all down to the yeast in beer.
Alistair, 49, said: ‘I almost wanted to double check it and get it changed!
‘I didn’t think it was right, I just didn’t believe it.
‘I was coughing a lot and spluttering in the mornings, and generally feeling tired and lethargic.
‘I wouldn’t have done anything about it if other people hadn’t complained – it was my family that made me find out because I had just accepted I wasn’t very well.
‘I was worried about what I wasn’t going to be able to have but I never thought it would be beer.
The father-of-three earns a living by travelling around the country, taste-testing beer.
He said: I’m in the pub for work three or four days a week and it’s rare that I don’t have a drink for work purposes 3 or 4 times a week.
‘Sometimes I can drink up to six ales in a pub.’
Alastair’s work involves reviewing beer and matching specific ales to different foods.
He added: ‘Beer is a big part of my life and I just cant avoid it, I’m heavily involved in the pub industry, I just love it.
‘It’s a great job – it’s hard work but I feel I’m lucky to be able to visit pubs and help them through their beer.’
Worrying times: The father-of-three travels across the UK taste testing beer for a living
Alastair, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, used an at -home YorkTest kit which showed he suffered a severe reaction to yeast, which is found in many of the things he enjoys every day.
He said: ‘It’s in beer, wine, bread, even salad dressing.
‘It could have been caused by drinking too much of it. I mainly drink ales and they are very heavily yeasted so I may have just overloaded my body.’
Mr Scott owns the Square and Compass bar in Harrogate, Yorkshire (pictured) along with another bar in Bristol
But as beer is essential to his job, Alistair has been forced to take on a new approach to get him through the working week.
‘I now sip not sup, that’s more difficult than you think because you have to properly drink ales to decipher the full flavour.
‘You can’t just swill it round your mouth and spit it out like you can do with wine.
‘I’m just going to have a bit now though rather than drinking full pints!’
Despite the allergy Mr Scott claims he will carry on drinking beer in smaller amouts
Alistair, who owns two pubs in Bristol and Harrogate, has had to change what he drinks socially because of his new-founded allergy.
‘Duvel ale was always my favourite beer but it has a very large amount of yeast in it so I’ve now switched to drinking lager.
‘I spoke to Carlsberg who told me there are only trace amounts of wheat in most lagers as they are so heavily filtered, so they shouldn’t affect me.
‘I would rather cut out bread than beer and, I just love it that much.
‘I’m hoping if I can stay off it for the summer, then I might be able to see how it goes!’
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he might have coeliac disease an auto immune disease triggered by gluten. 1 in 100 have it but is often misdiagnosed as IBS etc. If he does then he wont be having bread either !
Erma Gedding-Outahere
,
Ooop North!,
12/4/2013 19:35
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it’s probably just an excuse to explain his two bottles a day vodka habit.
Stewski
,
Hexthorpe, United Kingdom,
12/4/2013 19:19
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He may have an intolerance, but not an allergy.
Elle
,
London, United Kingdom,
12/4/2013 19:10
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This may not be a unique condition. A friend of mine was an enthusiastic real ale drinker and developed the same symptoms of yeast allergy. Those beers still contain live yeast. He can still drink lager, which is filtered and pasteurised but doesn’t like the stuff.
Bill
,
Stevenage,
12/4/2013 19:04
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He probably has coeliacs disease and should stick to a strict diet avoiding any food or drink containing malt, barley, wheat, rye and for some sufferers oats. If he continues to ignore the problem he can look forward to ‘T’ Cell Cancers…FOOL!
micky2shoes
,
doncaster, United Kingdom,
12/4/2013 18:38
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How sad! a near perfect job and this happens, a case of ‘sod’s law’ indeed!
anais
,
paphos, Cyprus,
12/4/2013 18:32
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My wife wishes I was.
English Jon
,
Halifax,
12/4/2013 17:59
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My wife wishes I was.
English Jon
,
Halifax,
12/4/2013 17:57
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There shouldn’t be any wheat in lager!
Stephen
,
Leeds,
12/4/2013 17:43
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