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.
Heist Brew Co. celebrated their fifth birthday over the weekend of 8/9 April with a bit of a party in the tap room. The bar featured a number of breweries from around the world alongside a number of collaborations across both cask and keg. There was also music and a 5% discount on food. The following weekend saw a couple of international brewery showcases featuring Browar Funky Fluid from Poland and Varvar from Ukraine.
Work continues converting a former shop and office unit at Totley Rise into the Tunnel Tap micropub, it is expected that renovations and plumbing etc should be complete by May after which work fitting it out as a bar will commence with opening expected in the summer.
Following the renovations and major refurbishment at the Anchor Inn, Tideswell, that we covered last month, the pub and restaurant has now reopened.
Restaurant area at the Anchor Inn, which can double up as a dancefloor at night if they have a disco event!
The former Royal Standard pub has now reopened as the Royal Lounge, a late bar with Lebanese food. No real ale or craft beer available.
Industry Hophouse bottle shop and bar on Leadmill Road is no more with the venue now housing two themed pop ups – Karen’s Diner (burger joint with rude staff) and The Alice Experience (cocktail making). The original Industry Tap is still open.
The Leadmill has hit the news recently as the long standing management’s lease comes to an end next year and the building’s owner are taking it back to run the venue themselves. It is expected to be refurbished and become Electric Sheffield, part of a chain.
The last day of Thornbridge Brewery running the Bath Hotel in Sheffield City Centre as 23 April, the pub will reopen after a short break run by a manager employed by the pub’s long time owner, so it should be in safe hands!
Grizzly Grains brewery are continuing to work with Sheffield Organic Growers, who provided the pears last year for the Pear & Rye Saison they brewed. They have expanded into another space next to the original site and are growing Yeoman hops and we are told to expect to see them used in a green hop beer in the future!
Little Mesters Brewing have released a new beer, “Sesh”, a 3.8% hazy session pale ale. Available in cask, keg and can.
As usual at this time of the year, Bradfield Brewery celebrated the arrival of the World Snooker Championships with the release of their CruciBull beer, a traditional bitter.
The Anchor Inn can be found just outside Tideswell on the crossroads where the B6049 road from Great Hucklow to Tideswell meets the busy A623 Chesterfield to Manchester road. It is owned by Robinsons Brewery of Stockport and leased to Atlantik Inns, the company run by Rick Ellison that also operates the Old Hall Hotel in Hope, Peak Hotel in Castleton and Milton’s Tap in Buxton. It is a cosy country pub offering real ale, rum and home cooked food – plus it ticks the other boxes with an open fire and beer garden.
The Anchor was from early days a working farmstead, but because of its strategic position it developed into an Alehouse, becoming licensed in 1699. We might imagine it would have been a favourite stopping place for carriers, in packhorse days, but it became even more popular during the Turnpike Era. The road from Chapel en le Frith was turnpiked in 1749 as far as Peak Forest. This was extended in 1758 towards Chesterfield, and the Anchor stood at its crossing point with the turnpike from Sheffield to Buxton, leading to it becoming popular as a Coaching Inn. In 1788 the Sheffield Coach called here 3 times a week, and in 1800 the Buxton & Sheffield “Telegraph” likewise. Then in the early 19th century, for instance in 1835, Pigot’s Directory records the Champion (from Nottingham to Manchester) calling at the Anchor every day at 12:30, whilst its “sister” coach, the Champion from Manchester to Nottingham, passed through in the opposite direction at the same time.
This old pub was in need of something of a fettle including rewiring so the opportunity has been taken to close for a full renovation and refurbishment. We are told work has been progressing on schedule, keep an eye on their Facebook page for latest updates including the announcement of the reopening party! In the meantime, here is a gallery of the work going on there.
UPDATE! The bar reopens on Friday 8 April 5pm with the restaurant opening the following day.
Blue Bee have been busy in the brewhouse and a number of new beers have been brewed including a vanilla porter. The rest have been all about them playing with the various hop varieties they have got their hands on. The 53rd edition in their American Five Hop series involves plenty of Mosaic whilst their session strength beer at 3.9% has been brewed with Vic Secret hops. Also to look out for is a 6% Mosaic and Enigma hopped beer and one with Simcoe and Idahoe.
After two years of Covid restrictions, Sheffield Beer Week was back to its usual format with fantastic beery events going on in pubs, bars and brewery taprooms across the city, not only getting us local beer lovers an excuse to get out and about more but also bringing in beer tourists from across the country to enjoy what is on offer in the area.
The week was preceded by a couple of beer festivals. In Sheffield the Indie Beer Feast was held at its new home of Trafalgar Warehouse in the City Centre, this festival is predominantly one of breweries bringing their own bars to showcase and talk about their beers. Meanwhile down the road at Magna, the Rotherham Real Ale & Music Festival was taking place, here live music is a bigger feature and the beer range more traditional and the event raises money for charity.
After having fun volunteering behind a bar at Magna on the Thursday and Friday, I attended Indie Beer Feast on the Saturday evening. Local brewers pouring here included Abbeydale, Lost Industry and St Mars of the Desert and it’s always a pleasure to say hello! My drinking plan was to start with a few sensible strength beers and work my way up, trying as many different breweries as possible too. First stop was the Torrside bar, this is a brewery perhaps best known for their smoky beers but had brought mostly pale ales to the festival and my first beer of the evening was their Yellow Peak, a 4.2% pale ale on cask. Also hosting bars were Black Iris, Donzoko, Duration, Fyne Ales, Mobberley, Neptune, Pomona Island, Rock Leopard, Turning Point and Wilderness plus Hogans Cider and Ross on Wye Cider & Perry Co. My final beer was from the Craft Beer Newcastle bar which was showcasing a number of beers from the North East, including Molinillo, a 11.3% keg Mexican hot chocolate stout brewed as a collaboration between S43 and McColl’s.
Once we’d had enough at the beer festival, we moved on to the Washington for music, chat and Abbeydale Salvation Stout!
Being the lightweight/sensible person I am in my old age I had a couple of nights off the booze and didn’t head back out to enjoy Sheffield Beer Week until the Tuesday evening. This started with a visit to the Brothers Arms at Heeley as they were being presented with CAMRA Sheffield & District’s Pub of the Month award followed by a visit to the Sheaf View where a number of guest beers from Burning Soul featured. A bus ride into town was then taken ahead of the football kicking out to get to the Bath Hotel, however I was a day too early for the Mallinsons tap takeover so had to “make do” with Thornbridge beer! Finally we took a tram ride down to Shalesmoor and visited the Kelham Island Tavern for their Bristol beer showcase and the Crow to see the result of the battle of the beers event and try the rather interesting carrot cake sour!
Wednesday evening kicked off with a visit to the Rutland Arms who were hosting an event with Kernel brewery of London. Unfortunately the ticketed tasting event with the brewer which included a food pairing was sold out but a huge range of their beers were available on the bar to order in the traditional fashion! Three dark beers from Kernel were available on cask which I just had to try – you very rarely see their cask beer outside their own tap room, however there were lots of goodies to try on keg too including a foeder beer, a damson and sour cherry saison, a grisette, various IPAs and more.
Thursday evening saw us head down Abbeydale Road for the Two Thirds Beer Co. event – a tap takeover by Polly’s. Six beers were on and tasting flights of a third pint of each was ordered and enjoyed!
Next stop was the Broadfieldwhere Peaky Climbers, True North’s new collaboration beer was on cask then we finished at the White Lion to enjoy a bit of live music – it was their jam night.
Finally Friday and I joined members of Dronfield’s CAMRA branch for an Ecclesall Road social. The beer week event here was a meet the brewer with Dronfield’s own Temper Brewing at the Beer Housemicropub, however we also took advantage of the opportunity to try out two newly opened bars at Banner Cross – Itchy Pig 2 micropub and the Dark Horse bar -along with established favourites Ecclesall Ale Club and the Portland House.
A couple of planning applications of interest. The first is the former White Hart at Oughtibridge, which ceased trading around the time the road was closed due to a landslip and was converted into a bridal wear shop, the planning application is to turn the building back into a pub. The other application is to open a new wine bar at 43-45 West Street which will see a number of shop units converted.
Stocksbridge RUFC‘s clubhouse has now reopened following refurbishment.
Work creating the Boston Arms at Woodseats is well underway with this new micropub due to open in the spring. It is on two floors and will operate as a café in the daytime offering hot drinks and baked goodies then from 4pm it will be a bar with real ale and other craft beers.
The Dorothy Pax held a fundraiser for War Child UK and Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal on 17 March. Abbeydale Brewery, Triple Point Brewery, Mikkeller and James Clay & Sons all donated drinks for the event with proceeds from selling them at the bar going to the appeal, there was also a raffle and live music.
Between 8 and 13 March Thornbridge’s tap pubs donated 10% from the sale of every pint of Jaipur IPA to the British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal.
Another sign of pub life being back to normal after two years of Covid restrictions – the Dog & Partridge celebrated St Patrick’s Day in the normal style!
TheScarsdale Hundred at Beighton (near Crystal Peaks, a short walk from the Beighton tram stop) has been running various real ale focused events including a Beermats Brewing Co tap takeover starting on the 14 March and coming up is a Thornbridge Meet the Brewer on 24 March starting at 3pm. They are participating in the national Wethersopoon Real Ale festival starting 30 March with up to 9 beers from the list available at a time.
The Ship Inn at Shalesmoor has reopened under new management.
The Shiny Sheff is under old management! Paul & Phil have moved back there with a 5 year lease with Marstons and plan on reintroducing the Quiz night & karaoke.
The Masons Arms at Crookes has reopened and by the time you read this real ale should be available.
The Bath Hotel closes as a Thornbridge pub after 23rd April. After a short break it is expected to reopen under new management. The pub continues under the same ownership of Brian the previous landlord and had been leased to Thornbridge for the last 10 years
Chesterfield CAMRA’s usual annual beer festival at the Winding Wheel theatre couldn’t happen this year as Covid uncertainty had impacted the planning timescales. As a replacement a huge list of pubs across Chesterfield town centre, Brampton and Whittington Moor teamed up to put on a weekend walkabout event featuring beer, food and music.
Members of Sheffield and Dronfield CAMRA branches all arranged to get together for a couple of joint socials, with us visiting Whittington Moor on the Friday night then the town centre & “Brampton Mile” on Saturday afternoon. On both days we also caught up with friends from Chesterfield branch too!
Friday night saw us start at the Glassworks on Whittington Moor, which is run by Brampton Brewery. For the festival weekend they had a number of guest ales on the bar alongside their own including Anarchy Deafening Silence pale ale, Durham Apricity Copper Ale and Durham Dark Angel Stout. With a 6:30pm start we were able to sit and relax here for a bit! By the time we moved on to the Beer Parlour it was packed with the usual friendly crowd and great beers, including one from the relatively local Silver Brewhouse and a classic not seen about as much these days – Bass.
We finished in the Derby Tup to enjoy live blues music from Slim Wilson & The Swamp Brothers along with again a great range of beers including a plum porter and IPA from Eyam Brewery, a pale ale from Scarborough and more, including another local classic – Hartington Bitter from Whim Brewery.
On Saturday afternoon we met up at the Pig & Pump in Chesterfield town centre, which for the festival weekend featured an Abbeydale Brewery tap takeover, with the brewery supplying a diverse range of beers from Serenity, a 3.9% pleasantly hopped pale ale, up to Black Mass, a 6.66% black IPA.
Next we walked up to the Hidden Knight for a quick half, this is a Greene King pub but they had a guest ale on from Thornbridge. We then proceeded to an old favourite, the Chesterfield Alehouse micropub, who were hosting a tap takeover with all the handpumps given over to showcasing beers from Two by Two brewing whilst a good number of the keg taps featured beer from Seven Bro7hers Brewery.
We were then within touching distance of the Brampton Mile and visited the Tramway Tavern, Brampton Brewery and Real Ale corner (which had a couple of extra casks on gravity) before time ran out and we caught the X17 bus back to Sheffield.
However a special mention goes to David Marsh from North London CAMRA branch who joined us for the afternoon who apparantly managed to fit in another 5 pubs after we left before he caught his train home from Chesterfield!
Our Pub of the Month award scheme, designed to celebrate all the pubs around our area serving well kept real ale in a friendly and comfortable atmosphere across Sheffield & District, has been on a little bit of a back-burner through the Coronavirus pandemic with pubs unable to operate in a normal fashion if at all at times, however it is now back and our members are nominating and voting for their favourite local pubs!
The winner for March 2022 is the Brothers Arms at Heeley. It is a classic old pub building, previously known as Ye Olde Shakespeare Inn, that perches on a slope at the top of a hill. The location leads the pub to have the oddity of the front door requiring you to climb a staircase to enter the pub whilst the side door is level access, however this also means if you are sat out in the beer garden you have an absolutely amazing view over the city! Although the pub was opened out internally back in 1981 and has had refurbishments since, it still retains a fairly traditional layout and style inside whilst the exterior still retains some distinctive carvings and signage. The change of name came with the current management who are associated with the Everley Pregnant Brothers ukulele parody band!
During the more recent Covid restrictions where table service and ventilation were the order of the day, the Brothers made much bigger use of their outdoor space and the fact they delivered good table service reflects the great team of staff there. Things are of course back to normal now so they are back behind the bar to deliver friendly service and a good range of beers including up to eight cask options. This also means things like the darts board and quiz night are also back!
We’ll be heading up to the Brothers Arms to present the winners certificate and enjoy a few beers on Tuesday 8 March from 8pm, we’ll also be sticking around to have a go at the quiz, all are welcome to join us!
You can find the Brothers Arms at 106 Well Road, Heeley, S8 9TZ. Getting there by bus: Alight on Chesterfield Road outside Ponsfords on routes 10, 10a, 20, 24, 25, 43, 44 and X17 or alight on Spencer Road near the Peoples Park on routes 1a, 18 and 252, timetables and route maps at travelsouthyorkshire.com.
In the last issue of Beer Matters, as many of you were buying the Good Beer Guide (GBG) 2022 as Christmas presents, we looked back at which Sheffield pubs were in the 1995 edition and how many are still with us. Now, as we invite members to help choose which pubs will be awarded a place in the 2023 guide, we have another look back to 1995 for a closer look at the City Centre pubs featured.
Bath Hotel
The Bath Hotel on Victoria Street is first up and as an unspoilt heritage pub has changed little today and is still in the guide although it has benefited from a sympathetic refurbishment and updated toilets. Back in 1995 the beer range included Wards Best Bitter, Tetley Bitter, Ind Coope Burton Ale and a guest whilst today the pub is leased by Thornbridge Brewery with a range of their beers on the bar.
Brown Bear
The Brown Bear is another classic pub from the 1995 guide that hasn’t changed much in terms of layout, this has also had a significant investment from its current owners, Samuel Smith’s Brewery, in a sympathetic renovation of the building and internal refurbishment. Under its old ownership this two roomed traditional boozer used to be known for being wallpapered with theatre posters making visitors from the neighbouring Crucible and Lyceum theatres feel at home and the beer range in 1995 included Courage Directors Bitter, Marstons Pedigree, Ruddles County, John Smiths Bitter and Magnet along with a guest. Nowadays there is just the one cask beer – Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Bitter.
Bat at Fagans
Staying on the theme of classic Sheffield City Centre pubs that remain unchanged today, Fagans on Broad Lane hasn’t even changed management with long serving couple Tom and Barbara still in charge! In 1995 it was described as a lively, popular pub with a small snug and impromptu folk sessions. On the bar back then was Tetley Bitter and Ind Coope Burton Ale. 2022 still sees the pub in the GBG, the Burton Ale has been replaced with Abbeydale Moonshine and Tetley’s Bitter has more recently substituted with Timothy Taylor’s Landlord! The pub also still features folk music and food is served lunchtimes and teatimes.
The next pub listed in the 1995 guide is the Harlequin – although not the current one of that name (which used to be called the Manchester Hotel), this one was located on Johnson Street and was demolished to make way for the inner ring road. The Harlequin was a traditional street corner local noted for having a pot bellied stove in the tap room, it also had a second room with a pool table and beer was from Wards Brewery.
The Lord Nelson on Arundel Street still survives despite changes happening around it in that part of town. It isn’t surrounded by as many “little workshops” as it was back in 1995 but it remains a traditional street corner local. Back then it was a Hardy & Hanson’s pub, now it is a free-house.
Moseley’s Arms at West Bar in 1995 was in the GBG and serving draught Bass and Stones Bitter. It was described as a superbly renovated pub with three comfortably furnished rooms and a friendly atmosphere plus an upstairs function room with a pool table. While the building still stands in 2022, it is no longer a pub.
Red Deer
The Red Deer is a pub that was in the GBG until last year when there was some Covid related uncertainty surrounding it, although the good news is a new tenant took over the pub with the same staff and manager so little has changed. In fact the pub is very similar to how it was in 1995 other than it being redecorated over the years and the beer range changing. Back then the choices in this former Tetley house included Alloa Arrol’s 80/-, Ind Coope Burton Ale,Wards Best Bitter and a guest ale along with Tetley’s Bitter, Mild and Imperial.
Rutland Arms
The Rutland Arms on Brown Street in 1995 was described as a City Centre gem in a resurgent cultural corner where, behind a distinctive Gilmour’s frontage, lies a comfortable lounge and a cosmopolitan clientele! The beer range back then included Ind Coope Burton Ale, Marston’s Pedigree, Tetley Bitter and Younger No. 3, food was served lunchtime and evening and bed & breakfast accommodation was offered. The pub remains in the guide today although the upstairs rooms are gone and the beer range is a little more exotic!
The Tap & Spile was quite the real ale showcase pub back in 1995 with ten changing ales plus cider. The main room was a large bar with exposed brickwork and bare boards along with a side room which was no smoking at lunchtime when food was served. There has been a pub on the site since 1790. It was rebuilt in 1927 as the tap for the nearby Gilmour Brewery and, in 1992, become part of the Tap & Spile chain. Sadly the pub had since fallen on harder times. It had a subtle change of name to the Tap & Barrel when it was re-themed in 1998 and has since gone through the ownership of both Pubmaster and Ei group. It is no longer trading.
Live music at the Washington
Finally, the Washington on Fitzwilliam Street. It was in the GBG 1995 described as a pub with two comfortably furnished rooms that is a popular meeting place which serves lunches Monday to Friday. The beers on the bar back then were Ind Coope Burton Ale, Tetley Bitter and Tetley Mild. Although the pub isn’t currently in the guide, it is still going strong with a range of real ales on the bar including the ever popular Abbeydale Moonshine, it is more music focused now with live bands and DJs. It no longer opens at lunchtime but stays open until 3am most nights and is popular with the late night crowd. The pub retains a two room plus beer garden layout with one of the rooms still a comfortable lounge, the other now has a DJ box and dance floor plus much simpler furniture. It has also seen recent investment upgrading the outdoor area.
Another couple of new beers have been brewed by Temper Brewing, including their first stout. The Stout is called Sinter and is a sensible 4.8% ABV whilst Valleys is a 5.2% pale ale. You may wonder what “Sinter” means – Sintering is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by heat or pressure without melting it to the point of liquefaction. So now you know!
Neepsend Brewery have been busy brewing new beers as well as their old favourite, the blonde. On the roster of new beers there are a couple of session strength pales – Callisto, a 4.6% brewed with Mosaic, Ekuanot and Simcoe for fruity, tropical hoppy notes; whilst Leda is hopped with Amarillo & Simcoe for apricot, orange and soft fruits with a lingering bitterness. They have also brewed a 5.3% ABV liquorice stout called Glabra and a 7.2% hop burst IPA called Ajax. This was Continuously hopped throughout the boil with an addition every 3 minutes to a target IBU of ~120. Citra, Cascade, Centennial and Chinook are going in initially with dry hopping to follow. Expect a big, bitter, resinous West Coast IPA.
With Christmas now almost a distant memory and the Belgian Blue running out, Bradfield Brewery are celebrating the time of year when the dark nights of winter start to give way to the lighter evenings and optimism of spring by brewing a vanilla flavoured edition of their Farmers Stout. Available in cask for pubs and mini kegs to drink at home! Meanwhile for Valentines Day a new beer has launched – Farmers Blushed, a pink strawberry flavour ale!
The original brewery shed at Thornbridge Hall is no more, with that kit relocated down Riverside Brewery in Bakewell. The building that the tap room has relocated into is also the new home for the smaller brewing vessels where all the smaller batch cask beer is produced.
Blue Bee have brewed an export stout. It is 6.6% ABV and brewed with 7 malts. Also new is Simcoe Idaho 7.
You may recall that Eyam brewery produced a limited edition Imperial version of their Black Death Stout at 11% ABV which was available in bottles through independent beer shops or direct from the brewery. This beer has since appeared in a one off cask served on gravity pour at Real Ale Corner micropub in Chesterfield as part of the pub walkabout festival weekend at the beginning of February.
Grizzly Grains have brewed a new pale ale brewed with Citra hops in the boil then dry hopped with Mosaic.
New from Chantry Brewery is Styrian Eagle, a 4.1% ABV pale ale named after the hops it is brewed with.
Loxley Brewery recently completed their second canning session, ‘THEM That CAN’ visiting for a morning in early February. In total almost 500 litres of a 4.2%, American Pale, Corvus and a 5.5%, West Coast IPA, Kasper were successfully packaged.
