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.
Christmas and New Year normally is one of those times when pubs and bars really come alive – be that celebrating with colleagues or friends in a lively City Centre venues, catching up with old pals you haven’t seen for a while in the community local or relaxing with family in front of an open fire in a cosy country pub.
For that reason, December from a business perspective is when pubs make most money and need to do so to get through the usually quiet January when people often stay in after the excesses of Christmas to save money or perhaps keep a new years resolution to eat & drink less.
Christmas really didn’t happen last year due to the Coronavirus lockdown with pubs restricted to operating as off licences only. This year is different as they can operate pretty much normally – the only restriction is venues opening later than 1am that have a dance floor are required to see a valid Covid pass as a condition of entry (proving either fully vaccinated or a recent negative test).
So where’s the problem?
Well, mixed messaging coming from the government has really damaged people’s confidence and many aren’t going out. Face coverings are required on public transport, in taxis and in shops and we are told the new Omicron variant is spreading like wildfire. No one wants their family Christmas ruined by having to self isolate and being unable to spend time with family at Christmas.
Some publicans are also worried about their staff and ultimately if too many of their staff are off sick they cannot open and are imposing their own restrictions regardless of government restrictions – such as asking customers to move away from the bar once served and asking customers to wear masks when not seated.
Looking beyond Christmas there is the threat of further restrictions coming but nothing announced, meaning publicans have no idea whether to tap any more beers or order any more food and drink stock in with the risk that it may all be wasted.
So less customers visiting and some pubs shut due to staffing issues, the government have now recognised there is an issue with better support required, however recent grants announced are tiny compared with the revenue being lost. We should also remember such problems are felt down the supply chain too with local breweries not getting orders for beer that pubs aren’t able to sell!
So, what do we do as CAMRA members then? Ideally keep supporting pubs with our custom or if you don’t feel safe doing so, support local breweries for home drinking with beer purchased either direct from the brewery, through a local independent beer shop or getting a take out from a pub. In addition do ensure your local MP and councillors understand the situation the pubs and brewers are in and encourage them to support them wherever possible!
Temper is a new brewing company just started up, however neither the brewery location nor the brewer behind it is new to the game.
Chris Wigg is the man behind Temper who has previously worked for breweries including Little Critters and Buxton and is now leasing the brewery underneath the Dronfield Arms that was originally set up as Hopjacker but since mothballed.
The first three beers launched at the Dronfield Arms (also look out for them at the Joiners Arms in Bakewell and Beer House at Hunters Bar) on the 16 December including on cask their Resolve, a 4% pale ale while on the keg taps were a couple of slightly stronger options: Prism, a 5% pale ale and Rivers, a 6.3% IPA.
Chesterfield CAMRA normally hold their annual beer & cider festival at the Winding Wheel theatre every February, the 2020 event was one of the last to take place before the first Coronavirus lockdown of March that year and of course the 2021 event could not take place.
Due to limited planning timescales and uncertainty with the pandemic, including the Winding Wheel being used as a vaccination centre, the festival in its normal format won’t be back until 2023.
For February 2022 the festival will be going walkabout with pubs in three areas of Chesterfield – Whittington Moor, the town centre and the Brampton mile – putting on events over the same weekend of 4th and 5th February.
Regular buses run from Sheffield to Chesterfield via Whittington Moor, the fastest being the X17, the others being 43, 44, 50 and 50a. The Brampton pubs are walkable from the town centre or various buses (84,90,X70) run along the Chatsworth Road.
Bradfield Brewery’s six month Barrel Aged Kerry stout has now been released! For this limited edition of Kerry, the original Kerry stout has been aged in Jack Daniels and Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Speyside Whisky barrels. Blending after six months of aging has created an 8% ABV imperial stout with flavours of oak, vanilla bourbon and spicy whisky, backed up by roast coffee and chocolate with a warming finish. There are 1,000 individually numbered bottles available from the brewery shop, hand bottled and wax sealed by brewers Sam, Kieran and Bruce.
South Yorkshire’s answer to the Coca Cola truck has been to kick off the countdown to Christmas – yes, the Bradfield Brewery dray vans have been delivering Belgian Blue, their seasonal fruit flavoured pale ale, to pubs and shops and it is now available!
That said it is no longer the only show in town for if you head down to Perch, Dead Parrot Brewery‘s taproom you can try their Norwegian Blue, a naturally hazy 4.7% ABV pale ale brewed with Citra, Simcoe hops and blueberries.
Stancill Brewery celebrated bonfire night by bringing back Treason, their spiced Yorkshire parkin porter. Treason brings all those comforting toasty, roasty flavours thanks to it’s nine-malt blend, with added ginger for that signature spark of warmth.
A recent brew at Neepsend heading for cask is Nago, a 4.3% pale ale brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe, Bravo and Azacca hops bringing lots of tropical fruit character.
Triple Point have been growing hops in their beer garden and these have now been put in a one off beer! Flora was launched in cask at their bar on 18 November.
On Wednesday 15 December the Kelham Island Tavern will be holding a Christmas Carol sing-along evening raising money for Sheffield Children’s Hospital. There will be a small brass band and everyone is encouraged to join in.
Sheffield Folk Sessions Festival is back from 15-17 April bringing a programme of live folk music across a number of pubs in Sheffield.
The Crafty One is a new craft beer bar and shop located on Oakbrook Road, Nether Green, next to Rafters restaurant. A range of beer from keg and can is available along with wines and spirits, the addition of cask beer is being considered as a future development and space is currently tight.
The Sportsman at Norton Lees has closed for refurbishment and is expected to relaunch in December.
The Mulberry Tavern on Arundel Gate reopens on the weekend of the 23 October – as the Yorkshireman Rock Bar, under the same management as the one on Burgess Street that had to close to be demolished for redevelopment as part of the council Heart of the City project we understand.
The Noah’s Ark in Crookes and the Crosspool Tavern both had no real ale available on our correspondents last visit. The Three Merry Lads at Lodge Moor has a new manager.
Following some delays while the architects drew up changes to the plans to accommodate planning conditions imposed by the council, work has now begun converting an empty shop unit at Totley Rise into the Tunnel Tap micropub.
Food is now available again from Conor’s Kitchen at the Dog & Partridge in Sheffield City Centre, principally hot sandwiches and loaded fries. The Social on Snig Hill has bar snacks available most evenings, usually either sandwiches or canapes.
Opening on High Street in Sheffield City Centre is a new indoor mini golf course and bar for adults with a bit of a cheeky theme. It is called Glory Holes and is a second venue following the original one in Nottingham. Based on the bar in Nottingham we don’t expect real ale to be available and the keg beer is generally from the nationally distributed brands. Meanwhile down on the Moor, in the complex that houses the Light Cinema, another fun new venue is planned called the Boom Battle Bar offering axe throwing and beer pong games. No word on whether they will have decent beer yet, opening is planned for early 2022.
Work is underway on the new JD Wetherspoon pub at Beighton, in the old Damon’s restaurant near Crystal Peaks shopping centre, which will be known as the Scarsdale Hundred. No official opening date has been announced as yet, however reports in the Sheffield Star newspaper suggest the current target date is 30 November, so it will be open before Christmas.
The White Hart on St Philips Road, Netherthorpe, has reopened. It has a pool table, football on TV and a regularly changing guest ale.
The Pheonix at Ridgeway has had a refurbishment.
The will-it-or-won’t-it saga of the old Matilda Tavern on Matilda Street, which closed in 2005, may yet turn out to be good news if the latest planning application is successful. While upstairs has seen conversion to student flats, the previous plans for the ground floor of the old pub to convert to office accommodation never happened and it is understood that the developers no longer see any demand in Sheffield for additional office space post-COVID, while all the residential development including student flats in the area over recent years has created a new community that might like a traditional pub as its hub – and the new planning application is to restore the ground floor as a pub with a riverside beer terrace.
Mojo bar is a new opening on Holly Street, alongside the City Hall. No real ale or other craft beer appears to be available.
The former Plug nightclub has now become Network, a music venue.
Work has now begun to demolish the Rising Sun between Bamford and Hope, an 18th century coaching inn that has been closed since 2017 and left to fall derelict, and build a new hotel on the site.
The Dorothy Pax at Victoria Quays is now back into the swing of things with five real ales and a busy programme of live music events – some ticketed and some free entry – check out their website for listings. The music events are benefitting from an excellent new sound system in the venue, paid for by a grant from the Art Council’s Cultural Recovery Fund.
The Walkley Beer Company celebrated their seventh birthday on 20 November with an event featuring special beers and more.
Our friends at the Rotherham CAMRA branch have presented their Pub of the Year award to the Wath Tap, an excellent micropub in Wath-upon-Dearne. If you fancy a trip there buses 22a, 22c and 22x run there from Rotherham Interchange and Parkgate (with connecting trams, trains and buses available from Sheffield).
CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide2022 launched on 12 November and as ever features the best real ale pubs in each area of the UK as selected by local CAMRA members that drink in them along with brewery listings, therefore it seemed a good time to kick off a series looking back over the last couple of decades or so and highlight some pubs and breweries that have been lost as well as the long lasting stalwarts!
This time we’re looking back at the Good Beer Guide 1995.
There were certainly less breweries back then – in the whole of South Yorkshire there were seven – Concertina, Frog & Parrot brew pub, Kelham Island, South Yorkshire Brewing Co, Stocks, Stones, Wards and Wortley. Of these only Kelham Island are still brewing today, however Sheffield alone now boasts around 25 brewing companies!
Carbrook Hall
East Sheffield has lost a lot of pubs since the 1995 edition of the guide such as Carbrook Hall (now a coffee shop), Cocked Hat in Attercliffe (was sold off by Marstons and is no longer a pub), Enfield Arms(demolished, although the Noose & Gibbet next door still stands!) and the Red Lion on Duke Street (no longer a pub).
One East Sheffield pub from the 1995 guide still trading is the Alma Innat Mosborough, described in the guide as a two-roomed traditional and friendly local with a central bar that is a worthy find off the beaten track. It had a small play area for children and served Wards Best Bitter and Thorne Best Bitter. These days its still a nice community pub and investment in the outdoor area has been made prior to post-COVID reopening. According to WhatPub, one real ale is available, usually from Greene King.
At Chapeltown the long run in the guide enjoyed by the Commercial was yet to begin, however the area boasted two guide entries – the Norfolk Armsand Prince of Wales, both Wards pubs. The Prince of Wales is still going with a busy programme of entertainment although real ale is no longer available; the Norfolk Arms is also still with us, serves food, offers overnight accommodation and has a couple of ales on the bar (Doom Bar and a guest).
In the North of the city the Robin Hood at Little Matlock (Stannington) and Staffordshire Arms in Burngreave both served Stones Bitter and are both lost pubs although still standing. The former was a good pub to the end when it was converted to residential use while the latter had its licence removed by the local authority!
Another lost pub from the 1995 guide in the area was Morrisey’s East House on Spital Hill, fondly remembered for the days you bought jugs of Abbeydale Moonshine to take to the curry house over the road, however in 1995 the beer range was listed as Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, Whitbread Boddington Bitter and changing guest ales with the pub also featuring acoustic music sessions and vegetarian food.
The Wellington, next to Shalesmoor tram stop (was known as the Cask & Cutler in 1995)
One pub listed under North Sheffield in the 1995 guide still going strong today is the Cask & Cutler at Shalesmoor – now back to its original name of the Wellington– which featured an ever changing range of up to six beers from independent breweries. Now it is associated with Neepsend Brewery featuring their beers plus guests but the pub itself has changed very little other than a minor refurbishment inside and improvements to the outdoor drinking area so retains its classic character.
To the South of the city now and the first entry is the Dore Junction pub at Dore & Totley railway station. The bar served beers from Marstons, Theakston and guests and some readers may recall a young James Birkett behind the bar (who now owns the Sheaf View, Wellington and Blake). Sadly the time the converted station building spent as a pub was relatively short lived, it is now the Rajdhani restaurant.
Not far away, in Totley, another lost pub is the Fleur de Lys. This was a fairly large pub with two oak panelled rooms with the larger hosting a dining area. The bar served Stones Best Bitter and Bass Worthington Best Bitter. In more recent times as an Enterprise Inns pub it struggled for custom, not helped by Hallam University closing their Totley campus as well as competition from other pubs in the area and it has now been converted to flats.
The final lost pub of the South listed was the Earl of Arundel & Surrey on Queens Road, which was famed for its historical requirement to host stables for stray livestock! The premises is now a cycle shop.
Old Mother Redcap at Bradway bus terminus
Also in the Good Beer Guide 1995 was the Old Mother Redcap in Bradway, a Samuel Smiths brewery pub conveniently situated by the bus terminus. The pub has been closed a few years now however it not a lost pub yet – the brewery is struggling to recruit a live in management couple to run it for them but is still advertising the job!
The Shakespeare at Heeley was in the guide, this is now known as the Brothers Arms, back then the beer choice included Stones Best Bitter, Tetley Imperial plus guest ales.
Finally in South Sheffield was the Small Beer Real Ale Off-Licence on Archer Road in Millhouses. On the handpumps to take home in plastic bottles were Batemans XXXB, Exmoor Gold, Timothy Taylors Landlord and a guest while the shelves were packed with continental bottled beers. The shop has changed ownership a couple of times since 1995 but is still going strong as the Archer Road Beer Stop with handpulled ale to go although the breweries featured tend to be more local these days and the range of packaged beers has expanded to include the modern British craft beer scene more.
Out West many of the Good Beer Guide 1995 listed pubs are still trading today – these being the Banner Cross, Cherry Tree, Fox & Duck, Lescar and Old Grindstone. Two of the listed pubs are gone though – the Old Heavygate and Royal Hotel, both in Walkley, which were converted to residential use with the pub companies that owned them claiming insufficient demand (although the new micropubs in the area opened since then seem to be doing OK!)
Into Sheffield City Centre and a number of pubs listed in the guide are still going today, these include the Bath Hotel, Brown Bear, Fagans, Fat Cat, Lord Nelson, Red Deer, Rutland Arms and the Washington. Lost pubs include the Harlequin on Johnson Street (not the current one which used to be known as the Manchester), Moseleys Arms at West Bar and Red House on Solly Street.
The Tap & Spile on Waingate was also in the 1995 guide and back then featured a changing range of ten real ales and two real ciders, it has had something of a fall in grace in the years since, changed its name to the Tap & Barrel and is currently closed.
We’ll take a closer look at those City Centre pubs next time.
The Sheffield Brewery Company has taken the difficult decision to suspend brewing until further notice. It is expected to be for around a year while they look at options to change the brewery, its tap and the beer brands.
In the meantime the tap room bar is being leased out to new management and has relaunched as Alder Bar.
The bar will be open Wednesday to Sunday (2pm-11pm Wed/Thur, 12pm-12am- Fri/Sat and 12-9pm Sunday) with a quiz night on Wednesdays. There will also be events involving live music, DJs and food traders from time to time.
Well we’re certainly ramping things up ready for the festive season so have loads of beers due out this month!
Firstly, you may remember that back in August we released Cryo Heathen, an amped-up, 5.0% version of our yummy Mosaic hopped American Pale Ale, as a special one-off for our 25th birthday… well, it ran out so quickly and we’ve had so many requests that we just had to make it again! It’ll be available on cask, keg and can alongside another variation – Fresh Hop Heathen! This one will be the same ABV as “regular” Heathen (4.1%) and sees us be amongst the very first in the UK to have access to fresh hops from America, frozen immediately after harvest to preserve all the gorgeous delicate nuances found within these amazing little plants. And just to round off the trinity of Heathen news, we’re happy to say that this is now a vegan friendly beer, across all dispense formats. So even more of us can now enjoy a pint!
As for non-Heathen related beers, we’ve rebrewed Salvation Sea Salt & Caramel Stout for a delicious 5.0% rich and creamy winter warmer. Damnation also makes a return – a 4.5% classic golden ale, with Columbus and Pacific Jade hops for a bold spicy character with notes of citrus to balance. The next in our Hopback series is due out mid-November too, at the time of writing the recipe is to be confirmed but expect a lovely light pale ale showcasing something delicious from our extensive hop store!
Doctor Morton’s Cold Store Jukebox is a brand new beer being released this month, this one will come with a QR code to take you to our brewery team’s current playlist of choice! (Assuming of course good old Doctor Morton can figure out the technology…!)
And after all that I think we’ll be ready for some Hibernation – our seasonal 4.2% dry hopped pale ale, with Centennial and Simcoe.
October being the time of year when the fruit is being harvested is one of the two months a year when CAMRA makes a little extra effort to champion real cider and perry that is made by fermenting freshly pressed apple or pear juice (as opposed to the more industrial brands manufactured from concentrate).
Sheffield isn’t exactly known for its cider – either the production or the drinking although there are a handful of small scale producers in nearby parts of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and a small number of outlets that have been making an effort to bring you a choice of traditional cider with a wide range of options poured from bag-in-box or tubs at the Harlequin on Nursery Street and the New Barrack Tavern on Penistone Road whilst Hop Hideout in Kommune has a wide range of bottled options.
Also look out for a handpump that usually has something reasonable on in places like the Social on Snig Hill, Clubhouse on London Road and Guzzle in Killamarsh.
The newest kid on the block however is the Cider Hole at Shalesmoor, a shipping container size bar in the Krynkl development, which opened on the 17 September. This specialist bar has a carefully curated menu of interesting bottled ciders from around the world including a 3 part tasting flight option with the knowledgeable bar owners on hand to talk you through them. When you visit the bar you’ll notice some fermenting tanks in the corner as you walk in, they are planning to make their own cider on site in the near future (using juice pressed elsewhere).
Our branch cider champion is Sarah Mills, she is the one who normally arranges the cider bar at our Steel City Beer & Cider festival, as the branch gets back into the swing of things with meetings and socials following the easing of Coronavirus restrictions she is planning to organise and number of cider socials and surveys over the year ahead to get the cider enthusiasts of you more involved, raise the profile and interest in proper cider in Sheffield and hopefully encourage a few more pubs and bars to stock the real thing. Keep an eye on our website and in Beer Matters magazine for details!
We have been super busy at Loxley Brewery over the last few months, brewing beer for various pubs, bars and bottle shops and also for MIND Sheffield. We teamed up with True North Brew Co to create 2 charity beers, for the Sheffield Half Pint Marathon. So many amazing reports and the people want more! Our brew pub The Raven Inn is one of the many venues taking part in the marathon. Our Citroen H van is finally back on the road after Covid, we have been to a wedding, Art in the Gardens and next week we have a stall at Penistone Show. We are gearing up for Christmas too, so watch this space.
September saw Thornbridge bring back a couple of their old beers as well as introduce some new specials. Hopton is a 4.3% English Pale Ale, light in colour and brewed using all British ingredients. A bountiful addition of East Kent Goldings hops brings a robust bitterness and a gentle citrus aroma, accompanied by just a touch of malty sweetness. Sequoia is a 4.5% American Amber Ale pours dark amber and exudes a beautiful citrus and pine aroma. Expect a smooth body with hints of roasted hazelnut and toffee malt flavours. Onto the new ones now, in can, Hay Bale is a collaboration with Lakes Brew Co, a 6.5% ABV lager with a tremendous punch of flavours from the hops. Whiskers on Kittens is a 5.3% Chocolate Dunkel Weisse, brewed with Phil Sisson, from Simple Things Fermentations featuring a tantalising amount of chocolate. The base is rich and complex, with a roastiness coming from the traditional malt bill. Characters of ripe banana, raisin, and coffee all present and the chocolate works as a fantastic finishing touch.
Abbeydale have launched a new beer in their Deliverance series, a 100 minute Double IPA weighing in at 8.5% ABV. If you like your beers with a good thwack of bitterness, this one’s for you! With Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra hops added throughout the boil, and at dry hop stage.
Bradfield Brewery are back as title sponsors for the new season at Sheffield Steeldogs ice hockey team.
Allsops beer has made a comeback! This was one of the first ever Burton on Trent brewed IPAs back in the year 1823. Ownership of the brand had ended up with Carlsberg whilst ownership of the red hand trademark was with Brewdog. Both businesses were supportive when Jamie Allsop looked to buy them back and two Allsop beers are now available in bottle and on cask, currently brewed in Sheffield at Dead Parrot Brewery and the beer has been on the bar at Perch, their new tap room.
Emmanuales have made some upgrades to their little brew kit and their next brew on it at the time of writing is to be a hazy IPA.
Little Critters have a new recruit to the brew team, Chris who has background with Buxton and Salt breweries. New beers recently produced include Great Danish, a 7.4% maple & pecan pastry stout; and Big Hoppa brewed in collaboration with Bad Co, a 6.8% New England IPA.
Lost Industry recently hosted a brewery bar at the Derby Beer Convention.
New from Stancill Brewery is Bavaria, a 4.5% golden bitter brewed with the Mandarina Bavaria hop variety from Germany which gives the beer a little bit of a sweet manderin and tangerine character to balance the bitterness.
