Amidst a challenging whisky market situation, former Hairy Biker, Si King (pictured right) teamed up last week with Cask Trade to launch Cask & Crust.

Former TV celebrity Si King (pictured right) a “Hairy Biker” teamed up last week with Cask Trade to launch Cask & Crust, a line of three whiskies, each paired with a pie from Si’s shop (Propa! pies in Sunderland). The line was launched this month, with all profits going to food banks in the Northeast.

Cask Trade is located in the UK and Hong Kong, with agents in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. King is a cook and broadcaster, who has been on British TV for over two decades.

Cask & Crust is a new limited edition whisky bottling collaboration between the two parties. The collaboration sees a combination of Si’s passion for food, whisky and charity, with bottle profits being donated to the Newcastle and Sunderland food banks. King said he took his love of the liquid and culinary expertise to pair three new PROPA! Pie recipes with three whiskies

“Both Scotch whisky and PROPA! Pies carry a strong sense of place carry and purpose, so bringing the two together in support of Sunderland and Newcastle food banks has been an absolute privilege,” King said at the London event, attended by WealthBriefing.

“Our ethos is about nostalgia and serving the community with the food that we serve,” he continued. “I got together with the chef and paired whiskies with the pies. Is there a place with whisky and food like wine?”

King said that people in Europe have whisky as a night cap or an aperitif while in Asia they enjoy it through the night. “It’s important to make the connection between the whisky we drink and the food we eat,” he said. “My politics are about fairness. I am an anti-poverty and anti-food poverty campaigner. It’s a very beautiful partnership and I am proud to be part of it.”

The three selected single malt whiskies are: Benrinnes 2013, Pulteney 2013 and Ben Nevis 2010. King paired this with Steak, Whisky & Green Peppercorn Pie; Chicken, Haggis and Whisky Cured Bacon Pie; and Wild Mushroom, Blue Cheese Pie, combined with onion and whisky gravy.     

“Working with Si on his idea of pairing drams with his PROPA! Pies was truly special,” Colin Hampden-White (pictured left), non-executive director of Cask Trade, added. Whisky is seen as an alternative asset which can hedge against inflation, although it has been more difficult recently amidst geopolitics, Brexit and US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Scottish whisky exports to the US. The 10 per cent tariffs were imposed by Trump in 2025, which the whisky industry says is costing them £4 million ($5.3 million) a week, and the Scottish government is trying to reduce or remove. However, India has reduced its tariffs significantly on whisky as part of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which is expected to boost exports. Hampden-White told WealthBriefing that the market is starting to pick up again. See more about Cask and Trade here.