
CAMRA Sheffield & District recently hosted the 2023 national CAMRA Member’s Weekend, AGM and Conference: April 21-23 at the Octagon and adjacent Students Union building. There were 790 attendees, including 77 from our branch area. We previously hosted this event in both 1991 and 2011 and were also due to host the 50th anniversary conference in 2021: this was cancelled due to Covid.

The weekend included fringe events, brewery visits (both formal and informal), a tutored cider tasting and a guided pub heritage walk.

There was also a Members’ Bar. Construction commenced on Tuesday 18 April. During that day, all 63 cask beers were stillaged. By the end of Thursday, all beers were vented, tapped and labelled. The bar opened at 4pm on Friday 21 and closed, never to reopen, two days later. Visitors also took the opportunity to sample many of the 300+ beers which were available across the city in our excellent breweries and pubs.

We’ve had lots of positive feedback from the brewery visits: the friendliness, the knowledge and the variety. After one visit, a visitor commented, in amazement, ‘the finance guy knew about brewing …..’ apparently, this is an unknown in her part of the UK. Not in Sheffield.

In addition, two new Sheffield pub heritage publications were available; over one in ten attendees purchasing a copy. As one happy customer said, ‘The updated Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs book and Sheffield Pub Heritage Walk booklet are both exemplary publications – well worth every penny.’

Feedback from the weekend has been very positive. The Members’ Bar was highly praised: ‘Whoever was in charge of the beer selections; well done! I converted from IPAs to darks after volunteering at Eastbourne last year and the range and taste of the darks was incredible.’
Other positive comments included:
‘All packed and ready to exit Sheffield. It’s been a fantastic venue for Members Weekend, AGM and Conference. The Team of Volunteers and Staff at the venue worked tirelessly to accommodate our needs. The cider tasting was one of the best.’
‘The organisation was exemplary as was the beer selection and service.’

‘Well done the organising committee, and all the volunteers and staff who made Sheffield such a well-organised and friendly event – an exceptional Members Weekend.’
‘You and your local team hosted a great and successful event. Well done to everyone and thank you. The challenge is now on to meet, or better, the experience from Sheffield in Dundee next year.’
We believe that Sheffield 2023 will be remembered in CAMRA history as one of the best ever Members’ Weekends: another winner from the best beer city in the world.
Thank you to everyone: attendees, brewers, pubs, staff and over eighty volunteers – who assisted with this event, we could not have done it without you.
Dave Pickersgill
Chair, Local Organising Committee, Sheffield MW2023

