Screenwriter, brewer, food fanatic and would-be astronaut Jim Davies is one of the great personalities who will be at this year?s Good Food & Wine Show Johannesburg.

Jim, who hails from the Cotswolds in the UK, will be in the Grolsch Theatre sharing his fantastic sense of humour and, of course, his vast knowledge of beer and food pairing with visitors. His presentations promise to be enlightening and highly entertaining.

Having spent 10 years in the advertising world as a successful copywriter, Jim worked on many of the then trendy organic food brands, including the launch of the UK?s first organic lager, Lincoln Green Lager.

Jim has always had a keen interest in artisan food production and over the past few years has been involved in a small fresh lager brewery in his native Cotswolds, The Cotswold Brewing Co. The brewery sells 99 percent of its wares within a 50 mile radius of the brewery and makes a range of additive-free lagers and wheat beers that are pure, unpasteurised (fresh) and full of taste.

As MD of the company Jim has introduced a range of seasonal lagers that are uniquely matched to the food produce available in season ? this seasonal lager brand has proved extremely successful and is available on draught at some 70 pubs and upmarket restaurants. Pairing the different flavours and styles of lagers to food motivated Jim to explore food pairings with other beers such as real ales, stouts and even Belgian flavoured beers.

?Beer, much like wine, can be a perfect partner to a dish, it can also be the perfect disaster ... matching beers to food isn?t as hard as you think once you understand the subtleties of what makes a great taste combination?, says Jim.

He also has a keen interest in cheese and cheese making and has helped run the Great British Cheese Festival and British Cheese Awards since 2004. He is a main contributor to the World Book of Cheese in which he pairs specific cheeses of a country with locally produced beers or lagers.

At the Good Food & Wine Show Jim will match Grolsch and other beers with South African cheeses and some food dishes which he will prepare himself. The Good Food and Wine Show is South Africa?s biggest and longest running interactive food and wine show. It takes place at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northriding from 29 October ? 1 November. Tickets are available online at www.gourmetsa.co.za.