Pool Market’s Quest for an Ale Taster

Pool indoor market, near Redruth, has announced it’s looking for a candidate to resurrect the ancient (and coveted) role of Ale Taster in the town, a position that disappeared in the early nineteenth century.

In medieval times, ordinary citizens were appointed to oversee and inspect various aspects of everyday life, effectively doing the work of our modern Inspectors of Weights and Measures. Not surprisingly, one of the most popular offices to be held was that of the Ale Taster. His duties involved visiting stalls and inns on market days and during the town’s fairs to ensure that the ales, beers and other produce on sale were of good quality.

“There’s been a market in the town for many hundreds of years, so the Ale Taster would have been a familiar sight right up to the late nineteenth century when the position will have been phased out.” explains Malcolm Ball, chief executive of Town and Country Markets, the organisation responsible for the revival.

He added that he felt that the ancient office would still hold its value even centuries on. “Although the attraction of such a role may seem obvious at first, the 21^st Century version would incorporate many more responsibilities than the original. Our Ceremonial Ale Taster would become an ambassador for the promotion of food and drink in the town. Modern tastes have evolved and become so much more sophisticated in recent times and people demand ever greater levels of quality and variety.”

“We fully expect this to be reflected in the calibre of applicants.

“The successful candidate will have a sound knowledge and genuine love of food and drink, local expertise in these areas being particularly attractive. He/she must be passionate and vocal about the subject, actively wanting to promote all the town has to offer in a multitude of ways.

“It must be stated that although the role is voluntary, it obviously carries benefits!”

Interested applicants can find out more details at the website www.poolaletaster.co.uk   

The submitted entries will be considered by a panel of judges and four lucky short-listed applicants will be notified and invited to an event that will be held in the market in the new year, at which a winning candidate will be chosen after completing a number of challenges that will demonstrate their knowledge and abilities.

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