CAMRA Sheffield & District
Sheffield & District branch of CAMRA
Congratulations to Sheffield-based brewery Triple Point, recent winners of the World’s Best Gluten-free Beer at the World Beer Awards, for their Trivergence DIPA (8.5%). Pictured are Alex and George with their unexpected, but most welcome, award.
Limited edition Steel City 46 beermats – available on eBay.
Three limited edition sets of 12 mint condition beermats, advertising Steel City 46 – Sheffield Beer & Cider Festival 2022 (SC46) will be auctioned on e-bay. On one side of each mat is the SC46 logo, with the reverse printed for the sponsor. The logo-side, when arranged, gives a large image of the festival poster.
There are 60,000 beermats available, 5,000 for each sponsor. Over the next few months, these will be distributed over Sheffield, the surrounding area and wider afield. However, a full set is very unlikely to be seen in one place at any one time!
Thanks to our sponsors: Abbeydale, Acorn, Blue Bee, Bradfield, Chantry, Little Critters, Neepsend, Peak, St Mars of the Desert, Save the Leadmill, Tapped, and Triple Point.
All profits from these eBay sales will go the official SC46 charity – Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The festival will be held at Kelham Island Industrial Museum from 19-22 October 2022.
Between 1957 and 1961, Sheffield Corporation City Architect’s Department built Park Hill Estate. Architecturally, this estate is of international importance. It is also the largest listed building in Europe (Grade II* listed 1998). The deck system is unique as the steeply sloping site allows all but the uppermost decks to reach ground level. The building ranges from four to 13 stories, and included shops, almost 1000 flats and four pubs.
The four pubs were each built to a common plan: four-bay ground floor units with clear storey windows, close to the shopping centre. They faced in two directions: a lounge and public bar, linked by a central bar and glazed screen.
The Parkway Tavern was originally managed by Hope and Anchor Brewery, advertising Carling Black Label and Jubilee Stout. The pub later became part of the Bass empire. It closed in 2006 and has a two-bay mosaic mural which is a remarkable survivor (architects: Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson & Partners).
The Parkway Tavern was used in the 2014 film ’71. Directed by Yann Demange, it follows a riot on the streets of Belfast as a young and disoriented British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit. The flats were used to recreate Divis Flats.
Initially, these ‘streets in the sky’ enjoyed popularity and success; tenants had the luxury of private bathrooms and efficient heating. However, by the 1980s, Park Hill had become dilapidated and was no longer popular. It had both poor noise insulation and badly lit walkways, passages and alleys.
The estate is currently being redeveloped as part of a joint venture between Urban Splash and Places for People, work commencing in 2007. The structural frame is retained while architectural and internal features are replaced. The Parkway space re-opened in 2021 as Park Hill Provisions, the first convenience store on the new development.
As part of Heritage Open Days 2022, I’m leading two Pub Heritage Walks: on Friday 9 and Thursday 15 September. These will take in some of the entries in the CAMRA Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs book.
On Friday 9 we will commence at the Fat Cat and proceed to Neepsend via a short stop in the Wellington. Along the way, we will take a circuitous route through aspects of the brewing and industrial history of Sheffield before completing the walk at the cooperatively-owned Gardeners Rest close to the long derelict, Stones Brewery.
The following week, we will commence at the University Arms and proceed to the Grapes/Dog & Partridge via a short stop at the Bath Hotel. After refreshment breaks, we will complete the walk at Fagans. En route we will pass the ex-Hendos factory, the ex-Jessop Hospital, the then home of the company whose claim to fame is that the owner was the first man to climb Nelson’s Column, Glossop Road Baths, the building with three different date stones, ‘Stanch’, and much more.
In both walks there will also be Victorian tilework, terrazzo flooring, art deco glasswork, a mention of long-gone Sheffield breweries and much more…
Located in a railway arch in Attercliffe, brewSocial is the newest Sheffield brewery. Head Brewer, Richard Hough estimates that the two 4.5 Bbl. fermenting vessels will produce around 30 (nine gallon) firkins/week. With assistance, Richard is currently organising the space, testing the kit and ensuring the legal requirements are in place. The planned first commercial beer is an unfined, vegan 4.0% pale.
Their distinctive red and yellow casks were sourced from Eccles-based First Chop, their colour suggesting the branding which utilises a similar red/yellow palette. The brew kit was previously used by Port Mahon Brewery, then Little Ale Cart in the ‘Brick Shed’ located behind the Wellington (Shalesmoor). It has recently been restored by Gary Sheriff (White Rose Brewery).
Richard Is a very experienced brewer. His CV includes Abbeydale at the time when Moonshine became the top-selling cask ale in Sheffield. He was also co-founder of Blue Bee Brewery before stints at Acorn, Lenton Lane and Shiny. He is looking forward to the challenges of working as part of the wider Yes2Ventures (Y2V) umbrella.
brewSocial are linked to Y2V, a locally-based social firm development agency who aim to create employment and training opportunities for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market.
brewSocial has the same community ethos, providing a variety of local employment opportunities: brewery work, cleaning, delivery, logistics, marketing and many others. Dan Carter, Manager of the associated Travel Service put it neatly – ‘Lots of different people do lots of different things.’
Y2V originated 23 years ago as The Anthony Davison Trust, providing accommodation for adults with learning disabilities. The name change came in 2002. Successful projects include Buster’s Coffee Company (cafés in Doncaster, Leeds, and Sheffield); a Travel Support service; Viewpoint Research, a telephone-based research service and Yes2Work, a New Deal for Disabled People job broker.
Y2V also manage theSocial (24-26 Snig Hill). Opened in August 2021: in addition to the bar, the complex also encompasses an art gallery and performance space. Licensee Juliet Portchmouth, is looking forward to hosting the launch of the first casks from beerSocial – ‘I am excited to have our new beer on the pumps at theSocial! It will compliment our varied range.’
As Y2V Founder Director, Mark Powell states: ‘Having a job and feeling good about it – that’s an experience the people we work with have rarely had. They don’t fit conventional job descriptions, but I bet they’ll brew good beer.’
CAMRA Sheffield & District have recently provided both an hour long pub heritage talk and a guided pub heritage walk for Sheffield U3A. The talk took place in the Showroom Cinema on a Friday morning with over 50 attendees attending. A few weeks later, the walk attracted 17: commencing in Fagans and proceeding via a stop in the Grapes to the Red Deer this took almost 2.5 hours. U3A are planning a further walk, led by ourselves, in 2023.
The next guided walks, are planned for Heritage Open Days in September with similar events occurring during Sheffield Beer Week 2023 and the CAMRA Members’ Weekend, AGM & Conference 2023.
In 2021, the Royal Oak was demolished without planning permission. The owners, Bar 24 Ltd, have recently achieved retrospective planning permission for this demolition and the redevelopment of the site. Their assertion is that toxic waste was dumped in the car park, and the situation became so bad that the only option was to demolish a building dating from 1843.
At the time, the local MP, Clive Betts, disagreed, ‘the issue of the toxic waste and chemical spills on the site is in my view a red herring. There has been a problem with toxic chemicals but the explanation from the owners that they contacted the Environment Agency about demolition does not in any way obviate the need to apply for planning permission to demolish: the two are separate issues.‘
CAMRA Sheffield & District agree with Clive. It seems that the dumped waste was used as a pretext for taking short cuts to potentially secure profitable redevelopment of the site.
The Carlton Tavern (London) sets a precedent for such unauthorised demolition. The Carlton closed in April 2015: then two days before Historic England was due to recommend the pub be granted Grade II listed status, the owners demolished the building, without planning permission. They expected a £5000 fine. However, Westminster Council had a different opinion. They ordered the owners: CTLX, to rebuild the Carlton brick by brick. In 2021, having been totally rebuilt, it re-opened.
CAMRA Sheffield & District believe that Sheffield City Council (SCC) should have taken a similar approach to that adopted by Westminster. However, following the ‘grant conditionally‘ decision of SCC Planning and Highways Committee, this is not the case.
Hence, we have written to SCC to request the reasons behind their decision:
‘A formal Enforcement Notice was not served in this case given that the owner/applicant cooperated with officers and committed to submitting a retrospective planning application for the redevelopment of the site. This is a legitimate option which was available to them. The National Planning Policy Framework advises that enforcement action is discretionary and that Local Planning Authorities must act proportionately in responding to breaches of control.
Whilst the actions of the developer are regrettable in this case, there is no comparison with the Carlton Tavern which was just about to become a designated heritage asset. In that case the developer knew that the building was about to become statutorily listed and carried on with the demolition regardless. The former Royal Oak is not in this category and the applicant had already engaged in pre-application discussions with the Council about redeveloping the site.’
On Friday 6 May it was announced that having brewed their final batch of Pale Rider, Kelham Island Brewery will be going into voluntary liquidation and closing.
Under the instigation of Dave Wickett, their original brewery, the first new independent brewery in Sheffield for over fifty years, opened in 1990. This building is now an extra outside bar for the adjacent Fat Cat pub. The current brewery came into operation in 1999, Pale Rider (5.2% abv) becoming CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain (CBOB) in 2004. It remains the only South Yorkshire brewed beer to reach the top three in this competition.
Ex-Kelham Island brewers have been involved in a growing number of influential breweries. Among many others, these include: Abbeydale, Brewdog, Tapped, Thornbridge and Welbeck.
The Brewery comments: ‘It is with deep sadness that we are having to announce that we and the brewery will shortly be closing. We would like to thank everybody who supported us over the last 32 years- especially our staff and customers. The Fat Cat will remain open, with Kelham Island Brewery beer available on cask and in Bottles/Cans whilst stocks last.’
If 40 years ago, you had asked a beer-buff to talk about breweries in Sheffield, you would have heard mention of Stones, Tennants (by then Whitbread) and Wards. However, it is unlikely that the Hope Brewery would have been mentioned.
Opened in 1939, the Hope Brewery (Clay Wheels Lane, S6 1NB) was the home of Carter, Milner & Bird Ltd. The company was founded in 1892, and registered, at Mowbray Street, in 1899, by Christopher Carter, Eleazar Milner & George Bird. In 1939, due to redevelopment of the area, the original Hope Brewery was closed and a new model brewery was built.
The company merged with Henry Tomlinson Ltd in 1942 after the destruction of Tomlinson’s Brewery, and the name was changed to Hope & Anchor.
The company saw spectacular growth in the 1940s and 50s, fuelled by several acquisitions:
By 1960 the company had around 250 tied outlets and the telegram address Jubilee Sheffield.
In addition, novel marketing was used. Local artist, Kenneth Steel, known for paintings and advertising, many of which were reproduced as designs for station billboard posters, produced advertising material. This included paintings of pubs on beer-mats, trays and posters.
Hope & Anchor are also featured in the 1950 short film, The Inn that Crossed the Sea. This film was made at the height of the post-war export drive. Beer consumption in the UK was in decline and overseas markets were wanted. It tells the story of exhibiting their beers to worldwide buyers at the 1949 Canadian International Trade Fair in Toronto.
As part of the exhibition, the brewery used 15 tons of material to create a replica of the Old Rose & Crown (Hoylandswaine). They exhibited: Golden Mead Ale, Jubilee Stout, Old English Beer, and from partners, Castletown, Oyster Stout. Local liquor laws meant that beer had to be poured down the drain. However, the 50,000 visitors/day resulted in both lots of publicity and good sales. Their Jubilee Stout was airlifted to Toronto.
A 1952 reciprocal agreement with Canadian Breweries (CBL), led by President EP (Eddie) Taylor saw Jubilee Stout on sale in Canada and the initial entry of Carling Lager to the UK.
In March 1960, Northern Breweries Ltd was formed to merge: Hammond’s United Breweries Ltd, Hope & Anchor Breweries Ltd. and John Jeffrey & Co. Ltd. The name was later changed to Northern Breweries of Great Britain Ltd and in October 1962 to United Breweries Ltd. In 1962 they merged with Charrington & Co. Ltd of Mile End London and name changed to Charrington United Breweries Ltd. In 1967 CUB merged with Bass, Mitchells & Butlers to become Bass Charrington Ltd.
The Hope Brewery became a specialist brewery for bottled beers before it was closed in 1994. For a short period it brewed, one of the few bottled-conditioned beers available at the time, Worthington White Shield (abv 5.6%, original gravity: 1050.5).
The 2022 Sheffield & District CAMRA Pub of The Year is the Abbeydale Brewery community pub, the Rising Sun at Nether Green. It offers 12 real ales and a wide range of other drinks.
In addition, there is a creative, seasonal food menu that aims to showcase the best of British produce with both modern and classical techniques. The pub works with local suppliers and has a Field to Fork scheme which allows them to engage with local growers as part of their community ethos: you can swap your excess home grown produce for beer tokens. Food is served 12-9pm Tuesday-Saturday and 12-8pm Sunday.
Sheffield-based, Abbeydale, the second-oldest brewery in the city (1996), took over the pub from the University of Sheffield Students Union on 19 December 2005. The Union previously managed the building from 6 July 1992. For over a decade, the well-respected Sunfest beer festival was held at the pub during the second week in July. For obvious reasons, this has not occurred recently: we hope to see a return in 2023.
The current room lay-out of this large suburban roadhouse: a large public bar linking to a smaller room at the rear and a lounge to the right of the main entrance is clear in 1955 plans. There is also a glass roofed extension and a large beer garden. In addition to an area to the front of the pub, recent extensions have seen half of the car park repurposed for outdoor seating: a real bonus for the summer!
The original pub appeared in the 1859 General Directory of Sheffield, suggesting it opened around that period. The name is said to have been chosen for pubs facing east and receiving early-morning sun, as did the earlier Rising Sun. The current pub opened when the, then, owners, the Sheffield Town Trustees agreed to provide land for the widening of Fulwood Road free of charge to Sheffield Corporation in return for the demolition and reconstruction of the original pub. The building is set back from the original road and opened in July 1904. Up to the 1950s, the car-park behind the pub was a bowling green, with service provided from a ground-level hatch.
We hope you can join Landlord, Garry Raynes, and his team, at our presentation event on Tuesday 14 June, from 20:00 (presentation, 20:45).
All the 2022 Sheffield & District Pub of the Year winners:
Sheffield West and Overall Sheffield Pub of the Year – Rising Sun
Sheffield City Centre – Sheffield Tap
Sheffield East – Chantry Inn
Sheffield Kelham Island – Kelham Island Tavern
Sheffield North – Blake Hotel
Sheffield South – Sheaf View
District (Derbyshire) – Anglers Rest
Pubs in the Pub of the Year competition are ones that have either won a Pub of the Month award over the last year or have been awarded a place in the Good Beer Guide 2022. The area winners are chosen by a vote of the Sheffield & District CAMRA membership with the overall winner selected out of the area winners by a team of judges.
