Author: Andy Cullen

Andy has been actively involved in CAMRA since the early 2000s after being recruited to sit on a National Younger Members Task Group. Since then he has held roles on the branch committee including Secretary, Membership Secretary, Magazine Editor, Chair and now Social Secretary. Andy has also been involved with the Steel City Beer & Cider Festival almost every year since becoming active in the branch.

The Angel, Spinkhill

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The current plan is that the ‘Angel Spinkhill Community Interest Company'(CIC) will purchase of the pub through a commercial loan agreement. There are a number of individuals who have offered this support and discussion is in progress.  Once the pub is secured, there is the option to issue shares to the community. The CIC are considering fresh approaches from potential investors: please contact Chris Emmott (cp_emmott@hotmail.com). The deal with Punch Taverns has to be finalised by the end of June. The group is also negotiating terms with restaurateurs.

Pub of the Month July 2014

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The New Barrack Tavern has been voted our Pub of the Month for July 2014. In recent years it has built a reputation as a real ale pub and renowned local music venue. It also hosts a monthly comedy club and regular beer and music festivals, as well as special events supporting local charities and the community. Originally a Gilmours house, the New Barrack has a terrazzo floor in the entrance/tap room/kitchen. It also has original, and distinctive, Gilmour door step, exterior tiles and some original windows. In 1936, the original stone built corner terrace pub was demolished and the footprint extended into the next-door cottage, resulting in a larger building which continued to utilise the original cellar. With the exception of the, now demolished, outside toilets, the 1936 floor plan remains: a snug, with original bench seating, a corridor bar, a large concert room and a smaller back room. Contrary to many assumptions, this back room was part of the 1936 rebuild and is not a later addition. To the rear was originally a yard which included outside toilets. The only internal change of use is that the scullery has become the men’s toilet, with the ladies a 2002 addition at the rear of the property. This Barracks also has an attractive award-winning beer garden which has further extended into the yard of the adjoining building. Until the early 1990’s, this neighbouring building included a shop which extended outwards towards Penistone Road. This was demolished when the road was widened. At that time, it was ‘Carter’s Sandwich Shop.’ The remainder of the building is now part of the pub and is used for storage. The concert room displays some original plans and various photographs. Duncan Gilmour and Company Limited were established in 1832. In 1891 they were registered as a limited liability company. They were acquired by Joshua Tetley and Son Ltd. in 1954 when they owned 144 licensed houses in Sheffield and 350, plus the Windsor Brewery, in Liverpool. They ceased to brew by 1964.  The New Barrack remained a Tetley pub for a number of years. There then followed a period of closure before it was taken on by, among others, Del Tilling and, later, James Birkett. In 2002, the building was taken over by Nottingham-based, Castle Rock, Steph and Kevin arriving in 2003. We will be presenting our July Pub of the Month award, as voted for by our members, to the New Barrack Tavern on the evening of Tuesday 8th.July. Dave Pickersgill Website

Beer Central

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Beer Central have just celebrated their first six months of trading down in the Moor Market and continue to sell an excellent range of bottles, cans, mini-kegs and gift boxes. In addition to local stuff from Bradfield, Kelham Island and Wood Street, they’ve also had other UK leading brews in from Wild Beer Co, Siren, The Kernel,  Tempest, Weird Beard and loads of others. Plenty of Tour de France and World Cup beers have also been available for those who like to celebrate sport with a well brewed ale! Keep an eye out for their newly organised ‘Bottle Share’ events in some of the city’s best pubs. A once a month chance to meet up with fellow beer lovers and share a few special bottles and beery chat. As well as promoting their latest stock via Twitter and Facebook, the good news is that their website is just about finished and will include an online shop and UK wide delivery service. You’ll find them at www.beercentral.co.uk The latest copies of Beer Matters are also available from their shop which opens Mon-Sat 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Inn Brief

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The Sportsman at Lodge Moor is one of the few pubs in the area to be selling a new beer from Timothy Taylor. The beer has been specially brewed to celebrate the Tour de France. It is Le Champion, a 4.5% French style blonde beer brewed with Alsace Strisselspalt hops and continental malts to give a smooth body and a delicate hop fragrance. The Sportsman also sells Taylor Landlord and Tetley Bitter. – Shaun Barnes is the new manager of The Plough, Sandygate Road. Bradfield Farmer’s Blonde and Sharpe’s Doombar are regular beers and there will be a rotating guest. A new menu is planned and the Sunday and Thursday quiz nights continue, both with free buffet. – Carbrook Hall (Attercliffe), the Norfolk Arms (Grenoside) and The Friendship (Stocksbridge) remain open, but are all currently advertised as ‘for sale.’ – The Miners (Stocksbridge) has closed. It is to be converted into a private dwelling.

New Barrack Tavern

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Western Park Hospital Charity Day – We would like to thank everyone for there support, The bands & DJ’s were incredible, On going support from Acorn Brewery, Bradfield Brewery, Small Beer LTD. We have managed to raise over £700 for this great charity. The atmosphere was amazing thank you all for coming and thanks to all who helped. We look forward to our Music Festival August 22nd 23rd 24th in aid of Balls To Cancer with support from Castle Rock Brewery. Don’t forget our World Cup Burger challenge – the fastest to eat this monster burger during the World Cup wins free beer! burger challenge nbt

Toolmakers Brewery

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Olie and Marion started Toolmakers Brewery in the old Varney tool making factory adjacent to Rutland Road and the Forest pub (see advert) early in 2013. The beers currently available are Black Edge Stout (5.2%) and G Philips Driver (a 4.2% blond beer made with European hops). Future beers will feature a new blonde called Top Forge at around 4.5% and a Tour De France special blonde ale called Crank It Up at around 5%. Olie is also experimenting with a beer suitable for vegans. Some bottled conditioned ales are also in the pipeline. Developments at the brewery are continuing with the function room and bar taking shape. Hopefully this will be ready to host brewery tours and other functions in the summer.

Blue Bee Brewery

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Word from The Hive… What is known as Light Blue Season is well and truly under way. That is, the time of year when the blue of the sky is complemented with the quenching character of a pale 3.6% ABV summer quaffer full of super Summit hops. Hops on T Bike The biggest sporting event of the year is celebrated with a one-off special brew called Hops on t’Bike, well balanced at a non-wobble inducing 4.0% ABV. Obelus_ The 9th instalment of the pUnK-tuation series has been brewed: look out for Obelus, more commonly known as ‘the division sign’. Ah, the joy of division… The beer is 4.5% ABV, pale in colour and extremely hoppy in the Blue Bee style. Bittering is courtesy of British Admiral hops, with aroma from the powerful US Citra variety. Recommended listening comes ‘Curtissy’ of Joy Division and their post-punk debut ‘Unknown Pleasures’. Intense.

Abbeydale Brewery

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Abbeydale Transatlantic Following the success of our North American IPA, Orange Wheat Beer and Belgian Saison,  the latest in our range of different beer styles is West Coast Pale. At 4.3% this features the American hops Cluster, Columbus and Cascade to give hints of sherbet and black pepper, with a fabulous citrus flavour.  This should still be on the bars of Sheffield at the beginning of July. Dr Morton Combustion Engine Abbeydale Trance Sister Also be on the look out for newest specials Trance Sister (3.8% golden pale), Dr Morton’s Eternal Combustion Engine (4.2% pale and dry hopped) and the Sunfest Special Dr. Morton’s Survival Kit (4.1% pale featuring the excitingly named ‘Experimental #30D’ hop!) Talking of Sunfest, it’s that time of year again when we take over The Rising Sun car park in Nether Green from 10th-13th July. There will be 100+ beers and 20+ ciders on offer, mainly new and/or special beers from breweries both near and far. Aside from the beer we have plenty to keep you entertained with live music in the evenings, dance groups and the infamous Dog Show on Sunday afternoon, and if you are feeling peckish, the Whirlow Hall Farm hog roast is returning on the Saturday. Anyone wishing to volunteer at this years festival, please contact the pub on 0114 2303855. To get to The Rising Sun on Fulwood Road, you will need to hop on a 120 or 83A bus heading to Crimicar Lane/Fulwood and there is a stop just outside the pub! Our chosen charity this year is Cavendish Cancer Care and 10p from every pint of the Survival Kit will be donated to that fantastic cause. You may well have seen our collaboration with Founders brewery in Michigan in May, which saw the creation of 3712. This flew out almost as fast as a transatlantic jumbo! Seeing how well this went down we have teamed up with another brewing great, however slightly closer to home with an away trip to Raw at Staveley. As this goes to print there has been no decision made yet on the style or strength, however it should be ready to be launched at Sunfest. Make sure you come down and say hello, we should be there all weekend! Abbeydale Tramlines2 Last but not least, due to public demand we have been asked to provide Tramlines with our winning Tramlines #2 beer from last year. This will be available from mid-July and throughout the festival.