CAMRA isn’t just all about real ale; we also support those pubs offering quality real cider and perry, made by traditional methods. Every year, Sheffield & District CAMRA chooses one pub in our branch region that has made a particular contribution to the cider scene around the city.
On Thursday 10 May, we headed down to the Clubhouse on London Road to hand over the Cider Pub of the Year certificate. Branch cider champion Sarah Mills made the presentation to manager Rachel Waite. There were three ciders and a perry on the handpumps on the evening, proving just why the pub won the accolade.
Cider champion Sarah Mills (left) with Clubhouse manager Rachel Waite
Well done once again to Rachel and all the staff at the Clubhouse on their award.
Nearly every month I offer the chance for somebody else to write in with their three favourite beers from the last month. Nobody has been in touch yet so I’m assuming people are happy to keep reading about mine – either that or nobody is reading at all! If you do fancy writing your own column for a month, get in touch at beermatters@sheffield.camra.org.uk.
Anyway, I’ve not had too many opportunities this month to get out and about so I’ve not had too many beers to choose from. That said, whenever I have made it to the pub there’s been the usual high standard of real ales on offer. Here are my top three, as always in no particular order:
What: Reaper #3 Rhubarb and Rosemary (5.4%) – Abbeydale (Sheffield)
Where: Heeley City Farm Festival
The latest offering in the Reaper series of wheat beers from Abbeydale’s Brewers Emporium range, this one featured the intriguing combination of tart rhubarb and herby rosemary. In the glass, this had a traditional wheat beer appearance with a hazy golden body and a very thin white head. Both the rhubarb and rosemary came through on the nose, but the latter dominated slightly on tasting. This might not be a beer you could drink all night, but you’d probably have fun trying.
What: Liquorice Lads Stout (4.3%) – Great Newsome (Hull)
Where:Dog & Partridge, Trippet Lane
As promised, I didn’t to include any dark beers in my top three last month but old habits die hard. The Dog & Partridge doesn’t have the largest selection of ales, but what’s there is almost always top quality. This liquorice stout was no exception; with its deep black colour and creamy off-white head, it looked picture-perfect served in its pint tankard. The aroma of liqourice allsorts promised much and the beer certainly did not fail to deliver.
What: Wisewood Four (5.0%) – Loxley (Sheffield)
Where:Wisewood Inn, Loxley
This was the first time I’d been able to get up to the Wisewood Inn to try a beer from the new Loxley Brewery at its source. This Citra-hopped IPA offered classic notes of grapefruit and hop bitterness and looked the part too with slightly hazy amber colour. This was a good example of a traditional style done well, and the fact I got to look round the brewery where it was made as I was drinking it was definitely a bonus!
Dominic Nelson
AASheffield’s Cultural Industries Quarter is one of 11 designated city centre quarters designtaed by Sheffield City Council, each with its own distinctive characteristics. A roughly triangular area just to the southwest of the city centre bounded by Eyre Street, Howard Street, Suffolk Road and St Mary’s Road, its name was chosen in 1981 as part of a council initiative to attract new businesses to the run-down former factories that typified these streets. Nowadays the area has a new lease of life, with over 300 companies based there, plus a host of shops, cafés, flats and of course, pubs.
There are currently seven venues within the Cultural Industries Quarter offering real ale, some more well-known than others. From beer-lovers’ meccas to cheap student favourites, the diverse pubs in the area offer something for everyone.
15 Paternoster Row, S1 2BX
This bar attached to the Showroom Cinema offers a much better pre-film drinking exprience than many cinemas, with a good range of locally-produced drinks available. There are up to two real ales on offer at any time, the regular Buxton Axe Edge plus a guest. The bar is also open to the non-film-watching public.
57 Howard St, S1 2LW
This Marston’s-owned pub with its distinctive mock-Tudor frontage underwent extensive refurbishment a couple of years ago, giving the pub a more modern look and feel inside and out. There are four handpumps on the bar offering a range of real ales from the Marston’s list which are usually pretty well-kept but a little safe. Recently got a whole new food menu featuring the usual pub meals such as burgers and small plates.
54 Howard St, S1 2LX
Very popular with students from Sheffield Hallam University next door, the Globe definitely isn’t known as a real ale pub but does nevertheless offer three cask beers, which often include something local from either Bradfield or Thornbridge. Sports lovers will find a big screen showing all the big matches, plus there’s a food range full of standard pub fare.
109 Charles St, S1 2NDA 19th century inn, once a ‘Palace of Varieties’ (with evidence on the walls) that retains some rare historical features. It now draws a varied crowd, including the more discerning students and staff from the nearby university.
Reasonably priced traditional pub and Thai food menu (including popular Sunday roasts). There’s a good sized pool table, conservatory, modest but well-tended beer garden, and a Monday quiz with bingo and chips.
On the bar you will find up to four real ales: Abbeydale Moonshine and Stancill Barnsley Bitter are regulars, with something from Sheffield Brewery often making an appearance too.
And if you pop out the back there’s a striking mural by Faunagraphic.
86 Brown St, S1 2BS
A pub that needs little introduction to Sheffield’s beer fanatics, the Rutland is known for its excellent range of cask and keg beers, delicious food, distinctive exterior and vibrant atmosphere. Following a recent bar upgrade, there are now seven handpumps installed; Blue Bee Reet Pale is the only regular, and guest ales usually include an interesting mix of smaller breweries from the local region and further afield. The keg lines offer an eclectic mix of big-name craft brewers and some rarer beers, with tap takeovers and themed evenings a regular occurence. It can sometimes feel a little cramped inside (some might say cosy!) but fortunately there’s a lovely beer garden out the back, weather permitting of course.
166 Arundel St, S1 4RE
A long-time favourite of Sheffield United fans on their way to Bramall Lane, if it’s a quiet pint you’re after then it’s probably wise to check the Blades’ fixture list beforehand. Featuring a simple layout with three seating areas surrounding a central bar, this small corner pub offers up to four real ales.
178 Shoreham St, S1 4SQ
This carpet showroom turned brewhouse opened in June 2016 and has been offering a range of cask ale and craft keg beers ever since. On our last visit, there were six handpumps in use, half featuring the brewery’s own beers and half guests from mainly Yorkshire breweries. There has to be something said for drinking fresh beer in the same building it was brewed in, and the clean and comfortable surroundings offer some shelter from the busy road outside. As well as the ale, there’s also a decent food offering and regular themed nights with food and beer pairings.
Our busy week of awards back in May culminated with the Pub of the Year presentation at the Kelham Island Tavern. As might be expected on a swelteringly hot Saturday afternoon, there was a large attendance, with Sheffield & District CAMRA members joined by a number of pub regulars. Treasurer Paul Crofts made the presentation to pub owners Trevor Wraith and Lewis Gonda on behalf of the branch.
The Kelham Island Tavern has been voted Pub of the Year by our branch members 14 out of the last 15 years, and on presentation day the pub proved exactly why it has remained so popular throughout the years. There was the usual fantastic range of real ales available, with North Riding’s excellent Fudge Brownie Stout a particular highlight, and a great atmosphere. We were also generously provided with a complimentary buffet, which was very much appreciated.
Congratulations once more to Trevor, Lewis and all the staff and regulars at the Kelham Island Tavern on their award!
It had been quite a few years since my last visit to Ilkley, a picturesque little town very popular with walkers, situated at the southern end of the Dales Way route from West Yorkshire to the Lake District. I was treated to a day in Ilkley for my birthday, with real ale rather than rambling on the menu on this occasion.
Friends of Ham
After some delay due to a leaky boiler at home, we eventually got the train from Sheffield just after noon on a sunny Saturday. Usually you would only have to change once, at Leeds, but a landslip on the Wharfedale line meant an extra stop in Shipley. Once we finally arrived, we headed straight across the road from Ilkley station to the Friends of Ham, a delightful little place with a good range of cask and keg beers, plus a huge selection of pork-based bar snacks. Brass Castle’s Death By Toffee (4.8%) was the pick of the bunch.
Flying Duck
We had hoped to visit Bar T’At after reading good things about it, but were disappointed to find it closed when we arrived, so we headed down the hill to the Flying Duck, home of Wharfedale Brewery. Here, we sampled the Best (4.0%) and Black (3.7%), and were pleasantly surprised to see Coffee and Hazelnut Baby Stout (3.6%), Abbeydale’s recent collaboration brew with North Riding, making an appearance on the handpumps.
Dalesway Hotel
Walking back towards the town centre, we stopped off at the Dalesway Hotel. Having stayed there before, I can vouch for the comfort of the rooms above the pub. It was slightly disappointing that only one handpump was in use at the time of our visit, but the fact it was Timothy Taylor’s Landlord (4.3%) was some consolation. We had more luck across the road at the Crescent Inn, a cosy pub offering six real ales; Kirkstall Brewery’s Dissolution IPA (5.0%) was the highlight for me.
Crescent Inn
Just down the road we stumbled across Fuggle & Golding, a well-stocked bottle shop with a good selection of KeyKeg ales featuring a couple from Ilkley Brewery. Unfortunately, the brewery doesn’t yet allow access to the public, although there were rumours of a taproom opening in the future. Heading back to the station, we decided to go back into the Friends of Ham for a half having been so impressed earlier, before catching the train back home.
Dominic Nelson
With so many great pubs in Sheffield itself, it is sometimes easy to forget about the fantastic hostelries serving the towns and villages in the Derbyshire part of our branch. Unfortunately, due to a lack of votes we were unable to award the District Pub of the Season award for Winter 2017, but we are delighted to announce that the winner of the Spring 2018 competition is the Moon Inn, Stoney Middleton.
Located on the main road just as you enter Stoney Middleton from Sheffield, the Moon is the last remaining pub in this quaint and historic village and provides the locals with some high-quality real ale in a relaxing and welcoming environment. It is also popular with dog-walkers, hikers and climbers looking for some respite and refreshment. A traditional L-shaped pub with an open fire, the interior is a mixture of old and new following a refurbishment around three years ago.
On the beer front, there are up to three real ales on offer at any time. Thwaites’ Wainwright is a regular on the handpumps, and is joined by two guest beers which often feature local breweries, typically Abbeydale, Bradfield or Stancill. Open every day from noon, the Moon is served by the number 65 bus from Sheffield for those travelling by public transport.
We are hoping to arrange a minibus trip to make the presentation on Saturday 14 July. Ideally, this will be combined with the presentation of the 2018 District Pub of the Year award at the Red Lion in Litton. For more details, come along to the branch meeting at the Blind Monkey on 3 July, or email our social secretary Andy Cullen (social@sheffield.camra.org.uk).
Early May saw the first ever beer festival at the Heeley City Farm, a fantastic couple of days with a decent selection of real ale. Myself, Poppy and Andy Cullen were kindly invited to judge the home-brew competition on the first evening – an offer not to be refused! Around 20 beers had been entered into the competition, which was split into three categories: under 5%, 5.1% and over, and speciality beers (not forgetting one raspberry wine). All the bottles were blind taste-tested, with the brewers’ identities not revealed until the end.
The first category might have seen the fewest entries (apparently home-brewers like their beers on the stronger side!), but the quality on offer was very high. First prize in this category went to Farmhouse IPA, brewed by Jim Scotson. Jim is studying for a PhD in chemistry and brews in his spare time under the name Dr TankNStein (www.drtanknstein.com). He maintains active Twitter and YouTube profiles, featuring interesting science-inspired home-brew videos and recipe break-downs.
Jim Scotson, better known as Dr TankNStein
Next up, we had the most popular category, 5.1% and over. There was a really diverse range of beers entered, from imperial stouts to IPAs and red ales. First place went to friends David Stephenson and Gary Wood with their exquisite Double IPA. David said: “I have been brewing for a while now and won first place at last year’s Autumn show. Gary and I have only collaborated on our brewing for just under a year since we were both made redundant from the National Blood Service, we have found our beer is a lot better working together. For me personally I find the whole process of brewing fascinating and it ties in very nicely to the degree in food technology that I am currently studying towards.”
Gary Wood (left) and David Stephenson
Last but definitely not least was the speciality category, where we were treated to some fascinating brews, including sours, Belgian-style saisons and even a gruit, an ancient style of beer bittered without hops. Our winner was a Grapefruit and Sichuan Sour brewed by Edward Thatcher, a.k.a. Big Ed. A former professional brewer, he now creates recipe kits that allow you to brew craft beer in the comfort of your own home. He currently has ten styles to choose from, available online at www.craftalekits.com or from Turner’s bottle shop on Abbeydale Road.
Edward “Big Ed” Thatcher
Congratulations to all three of our winners, who all received free beer (what else!?) as their prize, and thank you once again to the organisers at Heeley City Farm for inviting us along. We’re already looking forward to the next festival!
We have been up and running since March; as far as I know we’re Sheffield’s newest and smallest brewery. We brew each batch by hand and currently brew between 50-80 litres per run. We’re planning on upscaling shortly and are on the look out for a 2.5bbl or 5bbl system as we’re getting more orders than we can currently fulfil!
There are only 2 of us working in the brewery at Crosspool, myself and Joe. We’ve been friends for 30 years and thought it would be a good idea to open the brewery after trialling our range as hobby home-brewers. We brew and condition all our beers within our own premises.
We hold quarterly tasting events to showcase the core range and our occasional/seasonal brews. The first one was on June and there will be another one at the end August/early September. Details will be announced on our website: www.drinkhopscotch.co.uk.
We are currently available on the bar at the Springvale Tavern, Commonside and Guzzle Micropub in Woodseats. The beers they serve change but generally rotate through our core range of Pale Ale, IPA, New England IPA, Brown Ale and Stout with the odd seasonal or occasional brew thrown in for special occasions! We’re talking to a few people about supplying bottles but we’re planning on sticking mainly to cask in the short-term. As well as our regular brews for outlets, we also brew to order for events such as weddings and festivals.
Our occasional ones include a Double IPA, a pilsner and a dunkelweiss. We’ve also got some more exciting experiments planned for the next year! All our beer is unfined and with the exception of the IPA (which contains honey) they are all vegan-friendly.
Mark Booth
It’s been a while since we’ve contributed to Beer Matters but that owes more to my lack of organisation than a lack of news as we’ve certainly been busy.
We’ve brewed plenty of new beers and brought a few old favourites back in recent weeks and months. Just a few of these include: Godgifu (4.5%), an experimental English Pale Ale brewed with new hop varieties from the Charles Faram hop breeding program; Idaho 7 IPA (5.5%), our latest single hopped IPA brewed with a new US hop variety; Babayaga (4.4%), a Mosaic and Ekuanot red rye ale; Demeter, an American hopped IPA brewed with wheat, oats and spelt; Jambhala (3.9%), a six-hop pale ale; (pause for breath…) Massa (5.1%), a marzipan stout; Hildur (4.8%), a wheat beer with rhubarb; Lubin (5.2%), an oak-smoked wheat stout; and Brizo (4.2%), a Columbus, Citra and Nelson Sauvin-hopped pale. Alongside these we have our usual myriad pale ales jammed full of interesting hops.
We have also been opening up our new brewery bar for tap room sessions once a month (usually the first Saturday of the month, but keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts for specifics) and had a blast for each session so far. They have got busier each time and we’ve had loads of lovely feedback and kind words from customers, so thank you very much to everyone who has come along to one. If you haven’t been yet but drinking beer direct from the source in a relaxed, friendly environment sounds like your cup of tea we would love to see you at the next one.
The next outside event we’ll be involved in will be running the beer tent at the Folk Forest in Endcliffe Park alongside fellow Sheffield brewers Blue Bee, Exit 33 and the Sheffield Brewery Company. The festival takes place on 21-22 July and is organised by the excellent folks at Regather. We’ll be nestled among the trees serving Sheffield-made beer alongside a host of independent food stalls and producers and a stellar line-up of music for what promises to be a great weekend.
Gavin Martin
It’s been all systems go here so far this summer here at The Sheffield Brewery Company. Our Brewery Tap Room events are growing in popularity, our bottling rig is in full swing, and our new limited-edition releases are flying out of the door. Following the success and fantastic feedback we had with Liquid Metal – a 3.7% small IPA, now available in 330ml bottles – we have some fantastic new beers available and coming up this month.
In June, we collaborated with Frazer’s Coffee Roasters to produce Berlin Black (5.7%): everything you’d want in your breakfast (oats, cereal, cold brewed coffee, milk, and sausages… well, smoked malt!) but in a stout.
In celebration of this year’s Tramlines festival and headline act, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, we’ll be releasing a beer aptly named after a classic Oasis song. It’s also the name of a polish that Joseph Pickering and Sons produced in the Albyn Works, which is on display if you come to our tap room. Morning Glory (3.6%) features some of the newer English varieties of hop – Jester, Olicana and Ernest – and we added over 10 kg of dried elderflowers to the brew kettle, giving off the most amazing aroma!
We’ll also be releasing our first DIPA, Renovator (8.0%), in keg and bottle, hopped with ample amounts of your favourite American hops. All these beers will be available in 330 ml bottles from various places in and around the city.
Don’t forget to join us on the first weekend of every month for our Brewery Tap Room opening, where you can try these beers and many more for yourself, including music and street food from various artists and vendors. We’re glad to see more and more of you turning out to our events and the positive feedback we’re receiving from you all.
As ever, check out www.sheffieldbrewery.com for more details on our beers, events and happenings in and around the brewery.
Nick Law
The Kelham Island Tavern has been voted Pub of the Year by our branch members 14 out of the last 15 years, and on presentation day the pub proved exactly why it has remained so popular throughout the years. There was the usual fantastic range of real ales available, with North Riding’s excellent Fudge Brownie Stout a particular highlight, and a great atmosphere. We were also generously provided with a complimentary buffet, which was very much appreciated.
Congratulations once more to Trevor, Lewis and all the staff and regulars at the Kelham Island Tavern on their award! 
Located on the main road just as you enter Stoney Middleton from Sheffield, the Moon is the last remaining pub in this quaint and historic village and provides the locals with some high-quality real ale in a relaxing and welcoming environment. It is also popular with dog-walkers, hikers and climbers looking for some respite and refreshment. A traditional L-shaped pub with an open fire, the interior is a mixture of old and new following a refurbishment around three years ago.
On the beer front, there are up to three real ales on offer at any time. Thwaites’ Wainwright is a regular on the handpumps, and is joined by two guest beers which often feature local breweries, typically Abbeydale, Bradfield or Stancill. Open every day from noon, the Moon is served by the number 65 bus from Sheffield for those travelling by public transport.
We are hoping to arrange a minibus trip to make the presentation on Saturday 14 July. Ideally, this will be combined with the presentation of the 2018 District Pub of the Year award at the Red Lion in Litton. For more details, come along to the branch meeting at the Blind Monkey on 3 July, or email our social secretary Andy Cullen (
The first category might have seen the fewest entries (apparently home-brewers like their beers on the stronger side!), but the quality on offer was very high. First prize in this category went to Farmhouse IPA, brewed by Jim Scotson. Jim is studying for a PhD in chemistry and brews in his spare time under the name Dr TankNStein (
In June, we collaborated with Frazer’s Coffee Roasters to produce Berlin Black (5.7%): everything you’d want in your breakfast (oats, cereal, cold brewed coffee, milk, and sausages… well, smoked malt!) but in a stout.
In celebration of this year’s Tramlines festival and headline act, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, we’ll be releasing a beer aptly named after a classic Oasis song. It’s also the name of a polish that Joseph Pickering and Sons produced in the Albyn Works, which is on display if you come to our tap room. Morning Glory (3.6%) features some of the newer English varieties of hop – Jester, Olicana and Ernest – and we added over 10 kg of dried elderflowers to the brew kettle, giving off the most amazing aroma!
We’ll also be releasing our first DIPA, Renovator (8.0%), in keg and bottle, hopped with ample amounts of your favourite American hops. All these beers will be available in 330 ml bottles from various places in and around the city.
Don’t forget to join us on the first weekend of every month for our Brewery Tap Room opening, where you can try these beers and many more for yourself, including music and street food from various artists and vendors. We’re glad to see more and more of you turning out to our events and the positive feedback we’re receiving from you all.
As ever, check out