Author: Andy Cullen

At the branch AGM we elected a new Chairman and appointed the committee members for the year ahead. The new Chairman is Andrew Cullen, editor of Beer Matters, and we also welcome some new committee members in the shape of Branch Secretary Sadie Skipworth who has recently moved to Sheffield from Norwich, Beer Festival Organiser Louise Singleton and Pubs Officer Mark Boardley. Some old faces remaining on the committee, other than Andrew, are Mike Humphrey, Dave Pickersgill and Alan Gibbons. Their roles will be confirmed at the committee meeting taking place on the day this magazine arrives from the printers. There are still some vacancies on the committee so volunteers are still welcome! Commenting on the changes and the plans for the years ahead, new branch Chairman Andrew Cullen said “Thanks to those who supported me returning to this role after 2 years doing other things in the branch, I’ve been talking to various people recently including a variety of CAMRA members, brewers and publicans and I feel we need to breathe some fresh air into the branch. There are some things we are already doing well: Beer Matters and the website are both looking good and our beer and cider festival proved an incredible success at Kelham Island Industrial Museum last year. We now need to make our programme of socials good again, make the branch meetings a bit more enjoyable and purposeful, and raise our profile around the pubs of Sheffield & District.” He also commented on his wider campaigning views “I think we should also be communicating CAMRA’s national campaigning priorities louder locally. Although we are called the Campaign for Real Ale and our heritage is all about ensuring drinkers have the choice of quality real ale on the bar that really isn’t a concern right now. There is plenty of real ale coming out of an ever growing number of breweries and the wider beer scene beyond real ale is starting to embrace quality and craft. Any arguments about changing CAMRA’s policy and definitions of beer is somewhat time-wasting, I feel. Where our efforts are needed, are saving pubs. We have seen threats from the way some pub companies do business, from property developers, from convenience store chains, from the tax man and from planning rules that are causing potentially viable, good pubs to close their doors for good.”

As it was both National Science Week and Sheffield Beer Week, it was appropriate to have a beer-themed Science event at the venue of the Sheffield CAMRA Beer Festival. Hence, on Wednesday 18th.March, over 30 Science/Beer buffs arrived at the Millowners Arms to be greeted by a pint of Pale Rider from Kelham Island Brewery (KIB). This was followed by a short talk on Sheffield Brewery history from ex-Sheffield CAMRA Chairman, John Dowd. Then utilising various samples, Nigel Turnbull, Head Brewer at KIB explained the brewing process. Participants then adjourned to the classroom where Bob Kibble, Member of the Institute of Physics and the Chair of Doncaster CAMRA took them through their paces with some beer-inspired Science: make your own hydrometer and the exponential decay of the froth on your pint. After a quick buffet, the evening finished with an ‘Ask the Experts’ session in which John and Nigel were joined by Dave Pickersgill from Sheffield CAMRA. A repeat is planned for Science Week 2016.

Pubs that are listed as Assets of Community Value (England only) require planning permission to be demolished or changed to any other use. In effect existing permitted development rights will be removed for pubs listed as ACVs for as long as the pub is on the local authorities list. These landmark changes can be attributed to our continued campaign and to the thousands of CAMRA members who lobbied their MP to abolish permitted development rights for pubs. In a second landmark decision a First Tier Tribunal concluded that the London Borough of Lewisham were correct to conclude that a local CAMRA branch is a valid nominating body. As such, local CAMRA branches can now nominate pubs to be listed as Assets of Community Value in their name. The planning changes and the tribunal decision could see CAMRA’s role in the Community Right to Bid process increase substantially and as a result of these changes CAMRA may have an even greater say in the future of pubs in England. The changes laid before Parliament on 12th March 2015 came into force on 6th April 2015 and can summarised:

• Pubs listed as ACVs require planning permission to change their use or be demolished. This includes pubs already listed as ACVs.
• Planning permission will be required to change the use or demolish a pub from the point of nomination. CAMRA requested this to be included in the amendments and the Government obliged.
• Planning permission will be required for change of use and/or demolition for the period that the pub is listed: five years from the date of listing.
• As part of the changes, pub owners and developers will be required to ascertain whether pubs not on the asset list have actually been nominated. This must be done formally in writing.
• The local authority has 56 days to confirm whether the pub is listed or nominated. This means that the owner cannot change use or demolish a pub lawfully within the prescribed 56 day period.

As a result of these changes CAMRA urges members to nominate pubs to your local authority. Sheffield City Council information is available at: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/in-your-area/report_request/community-assets.html Please note that the nomination of a pub will prevent any immediate change of use or demolition. Dave Pickersgill

The latest Retail Price Index (RPI) now includes ‘craft beer’. Hence, we contacted the Office for National Statistics for their definition: ‘The aim is to pick up prices for a single 500ml bottle of beer. They are not mainstream beers, are usually well packaged and are sometimes considered to be of higher quality. They must be UK brewed. Fruit/wheat beers, ginger beer and lagers are excluded from the collection. It could be produced by a micro brewery or a major brewer but should not be one of the standard brands. We leave the selection to the collectors and the expectation is that they will select a reasonably wide range of beers that fit the broad description. That way, we increase the number of prices collected and have as wide a sample as possible with the aim of best measuring price change. ‘ So there we have it, at last a clear definition, the UK Government, Office for National Statistics say ‘craft beer’ is UK-brewed and only available in 500 ml bottles. However, it is not a ‘standard brand.’

While downing a convivial pint with friends at one of Sheffield’s premier cask ale pubs, I was dismayed to find that while the beer was served in oversized glasses, there was an absence of the good thick creamy head which typifies (or used to typify) a pint of fine Yorkshire ale. The little head there was, was thin and resembled washing up bubbles in texture. My musings led me to the much discussed and intensely opinion dividing subject of sparklers or no sparklers so here’s my two pennorth: Traditionally, northern beers or more correctly, Yorkshire beers are served through a sparkler while beers from other regions are served without. As a proud Yorkshireman I’m no doubt influenced to some degree by this but as that proud Yorkshire man, I’m a little saddened that some of the best cask ale pubs in our city are choosing to serve their beer without that tight, creamy head which clings to the glass and lets you know how many pulls you’ve had from it. It’s often argued by the no sparkler corner that perfectly conditioned beer needs no sparkler. Probably true but as with most things in life, true perfection is well nigh impossible to achieve on a regular basis. There are so many variables from brewer to cellar man that the perfectly conditioned pint is not always achievable no matter how good the craftsman. It would make sense then to get a little help wherever we can. To my mind sparklers do one simple and incredibly important thing……They AERATE the beer. Please, please don’t confuse this with the no sparkler corner’s argument that sparklers “knock condition (CO2) out of the beer”. CO2 and air are two totally different substances. They affect the taste of beer differently. Take for example a pint of normal keg which has CO2 dissolved in it and a pint of the exact same beer but with a Nitrogen mix dissolved in it, so called “smooth beer”.  The characteristics are totally different because there are different gases dissolved in it. Why is aerating so vitally important to taste? Well, ask yourself this, when a wine expert smells a wine what’s the first thing he does? He swirls it in the glass. Why? To get air into it and release its aroma. When he tastes the wine what’s the first thing he does after he’s taken a sip? He does that daft slurping thing we all laugh at…he AERATES the wine in his mouth. Why? To release its flavour.   If it works for wine then it works for beer and any other liquid you care to taste. It’s the same with cask. Some CO2 is displaced from the beer into the head (creating of course, said head) by the aeration but the same process dissolves 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, 1% argon and all the other trace gases present in air into the beer affecting its taste (whether to its benefit or detriment is, of course, the $64,000 question). On a final note and as a dire warning not to let the great American tradition of pretending they invented something great and therefore know all about it, creep into cask ale writing, I recently read a treatise online vehemently demonising the sparkler. The writer’s credentials? He was an American who cited his visit to “the great Yorkshire city of Burton Upon Trent” as inspiration for his tirade against the sparkler……’Nuff said. Musings over. Craig Harris