Author: Dominic Nelson

Bradfield Brewery

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
Farmers Blueberry Ale (4.4%) is returning to the brewing schedule for July. Commonly referred to as a summer version of the much-loved Belgian Blue, it’s a malty session ale with fruity, spicy overtones and a not-too-unfamiliar blue tint to the head. Bradfield Brewery’s Unimog (pictured below) will once again be taking part in the annual Bradfield Tractor Rally, this year raising money for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, the Rally will see over 100 tractors travelling a route covering Storrs, Dungworth, Stannington, Bradfield and Oughtibridge, before finishing at The Nags Head, Loxley. Making a guest appearance will be Farmers Red Diesel Ale – on offer at £2 a pint! The event will see tractors arrive at the Nags Head from 2:30pm onwards and there will be a BBQ, family entertainment, charity auction and tractor display. Further information can be found on the Facebook page @TractorRally2018. Jackie

Abbeydale Brewery

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
Isn’t this year just flying by?! Here at Abbeydale we can’t quite believe it’s already Sunfest time again, and for the 12th year the Rising Sun will be hosting an epic weekend showcasing 72 cask and 30 keg beers from ourselves and many of our beery pals. Hope to see (or have seen… depending on when you’ve picked this up!) you there between 5-8 July. As usual we will be launching our annual charity beer at Sunfest, this year in support of Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. Brewbell Wood (like what we did there?!) will be a 4.1% classic Abbeydale pale with Rakau and Motueka hops for a fruity body with hints of pine. We’ve got a couple of other new beers out this month brewed in collaboration with real Sheffield institutions. You might have spotted our deliciously light and easy drinking Tramlines Session IPA (3.8%) out and about after its release last month – Tramlines itself takes place from 20-22 July (the tenth time the festival has taken over our fair city!) and we can’t wait! We’re also releasing a big and bold IPA in collaboration with our friends at Peddler Market, exact details still to be confirmed as I write but guaranteed to be perfect to accompany all that tasty street food. From the Brewers Emporium we have Wanderer 4 (4.5%), this time a re-imagining of our Japanese Citrus Pale previously released in 2016 – a light and crisp pale ale with ride added to the malt bill and infused with oranges, lemons and yuzu fruit. And finally from the Doctor Morton’s range we will be releasing Myar Skikt, a 4.1% pale with a bitter finish. Originally named as a brewer’s apology following a brew that went awry, but went down well enough to warrant us making it again! Until next month! Cheers, Laura

Welbeck Abbey Brewery

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
Happy summer! We’re looking forward to July as the installation of our new fermentation tanks will be complete and it’s our annual team break to the amazing Moonbeams festival hosted by our pals at Wold Top Brewery! We’ve also got 3 new specials to share with you this month. We’ll start with and old favourite, Cathedral Beeches (3.7%). This bitter is full of heady herbal aromas from British Phoenix hops, making it surprisingly delicious and certainly more interesting than many of its counterparts. Our next special is one of our favourites, Pineapple Lodge (4.8%), named after a grade II Listed building in the heart of the Welbeck village. The balance of malt with American and New Zealand hops make this IPA satisfyingly full flavoured. Notes of tropical fruits are balanced with a rich and deep malt backbone from specialty Vienna Malt, giving an almost pineapple-like flavour. Lastly from our Brewers Choice range we have Mark’s Lager & Lime (4.4%). Whilst Mark is a valued member of the brewery team, it quickly came to our attention that he drinks lager. His tipple is a carefully chosen pint of mainstream lager, pepped up with either a twist of lime cordial or perhaps preceded by a dash of ‘R White’s’. The brewers have decided this has to stop. They have brewed Mark his very own ‘Lager & Lime’ using the finest quality British lager malt and fresh zest and juice from Brazilian limes. Don’t forget to grab your brewery tour tickets! July has already sold out so grab your August or September tickets before they go too! If you’re interested grab tickets via our website at www.welbeckabbeybrewery.co.uk.  Tickets cost £10 per person and include a guided tour and 2 free pints! Jess Low

Exit 33 Brewing

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
On 15 July we will be 10 years old!  We sold our first cask to the Riverside pub, followed by the Harlequin, and we’re still here millions of pints later! To celebrate, we are brewing a special one off beer called Time Flies (5.0%), with 10 different dry-hopped versions rotating through the pumps at our tap, the Harlequin. Our special for July is Double Citra (4.3%), a refreshing pale ale hopped exclusively with Citra hops from the American Pacific Northwest. Dry-hopped during fermentation it exudes delicate fruity characteristics including wonderful tropical citrus aromas. July’s charity quiz night at the Harlequin will be supporting the Multiple Sclerosis Society, everyone is welcome and all proceeds will go directly to the charity. Meanwhile, Sheffield Pride Festival returns to Endcliffe Park on Saturday 28 July.  The guys from the Itchy Pig Ale House are providing the bar service and we have been asked to brew the festival beer. We’ll be brewing Out Out (4.5%), a pale hoppy ale with our fave American hops. Pete Roberts

Roundabout official charity of SCBF44

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Sheffield & District CAMRA are pleased to announce that the official charity of the 44th Steel City Beer and Cider Festival will be local charity, Roundabout. Roundabout is Sheffield’s youth housing charity, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. The charity provides shelter, support and life skills to young people aged 16-24 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Every day, Roundabout helps around 155 young people living in accommodation either provided by, or supported by, the charity, giving them the chance to develop long term independent living skills and avoid homelessness. The charity is also strongly committed to homeless prevention and delivers highly effective mediation sessions and drop-in advice services, as well as homeless education in schools. Each year, we select a local charity to support during the festival. Proceeds from the quiz, collection buckets and unused beer tokens are all donated to the chosen charity. Last year the official festival charity was Weston Park Cancer Charity, and we were delighted to be able to donate a total of £1,300. Paul Crofts, festival organiser, said: “Sheffield Beer Festival always has a strong local emphasis so we are delighted to be working with Roundabout as this year’s festival charity, and helping to raise funds for the valuable help and support they give to the homeless young people of the city.” Ben Keegan, Roundabout Chief Executive: “We’re thrilled that the Sheffield Beer Festival has chosen to support our charity this year. As an increasing amount of young people in the city are turning to us for help, we rely heavily on the generosity of local people and organisations to ensure that we can continue to be there for those who need us. This event will not only help us to raise vital funds, but will also allow us to raise awareness of youth homelessness and the work we do in the city.” Poppy Hayhurst

Pub of the Month June 2018

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
On the 29th July 1981 Dave Wickett and his then business partner bought a pub called the “Alma” from Stones and re-opened it as The Fat Cat on the 21st August the same year. The intention from the outset was to provide an alternative to the pubs owned by the big breweries who dominated the city at that time. It introduced such rarities as Fullers, Boddingtons, Marstons, Theakstons and Timothy Taylor to the drinking public of Sheffield and has never looked back, continuing to provide a changing range of well-kept cask ales from the ever increasing range of British breweries, alongside its regular Kelham Island Brewery beers. Much is owed to Dave’s foresight in making Sheffield the real ale mecca it is today. The introduction of a no-smoking room and a vegetarian menu was rare in the early days and this traditional theme has been enhanced by having no electric gaming machines, background music nor televisions, instead the emphasis is on conversation and cask conditioned ale. Within a year of it opening it became Sheffield & District CAMRA’s Pub of the Year in 1982 and its popularity and charm continues to be recognised 36 years later. In the intervening years it has been named Pub of the Month and Pub of the Year on numerous occasions and has also picked up awards from the Morning Advertiser, the Good Pub Guide, The Times weekend supplement and The Daily Telegraph and has featured regularly in CAMRA’s National Good Beer Guide. The building was also given listed status in 2000. Much of its continuing and successful longevity is down to three members of staff who have been in attendance since the very early days of Dave’s tenure, namely Diane, Alison and the late Stephen Fearn. Following Dave’s death, his son Ed took over and the change was seamless, just as it was when Duncan Shaw took over as licensee in 2008.  Much thanks is due to all of these and to all the staff who have worked there over the years, for maintaining the standards and principals of this pioneering pub since 1981. Please join us on Tuesday 12 June as we present the Fat Cat with their latest award. We will be arriving around 8pm for a presentation about an hour later. Andy Morton

Meet your new committee

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We mentioned last month that following the recent branch AGM, there have been a few changes to the Sheffield & District CAMRA committee. Some people have changed roles, we have a few new faces and others have left. We would like to say thank you to Mick Saxton, Louise Singleton and Mark Boardley for their time and effort on the committee. Here is your new branch committee for 2018/19: Glyn Mansell: chairman Hello! I joined CAMRA in 2010 and have attended Branch Meetings for 3+ years. I was elected Chair of Sheffield Branch in April 2018. I am really passionate about Sheffield’s pubs and real ale. My motivation is to promote pubs in Sheffield and the surrounding areas. This means listening to CAMRA members and working with the branch committee. In Sheffield and District we are fortunate to have a variety of Pubs often within a short walk and Real Ale Trails have been produced. Pubs have various attractions, whether you’re looking for a quiet place with small rooms, lively pubs with music or good pub food.  Pubs might have changed and evolved over the years but some still often retain historical features and fittings. I have enjoyed RambAles, minibus trips and pub award presentations. My other interests are walking, cycling and conservation projects. I have five grandchildren of various ages who also help to keep me grounded. Patrick Johnson: vice-chairman Patrick moved to Sheffield from Newcastle several years ago straight into the Kelham Island area to partake of its many glorious pubs and myriad pale ales. He has been a CAMRA member for more than 10 years and this will be his third year on the committee, having previously served as social secretary. You’ll more than likely see him making presentations at our Pub of the Month evenings. Paul Crofts: treasurer and festival organiser I have been a committee member for 3 years now, as well as being on the festival committee. I have enjoyed all the various roles I have played in that time, particularly my functions at last year’s festival, and I was delighted to be press-ganged into being the Festival Organiser for this year (thanks Louise!). As well as being fond of ‘lowering a couple for the tonsils’, I’m also a big music fan, particularly live music. Feel free to stop me for a chat anytime you see me in the pub (particularly if you want to sponsor something at the festival). Phil Ellett: branch secretary A relatively recent convert to Real Ale, Phil joined CAMRA two years ago. Since then he has worked as a volunteer at several beer festivals and visited numerous breweries. He is also on the Steel City Beer Festival organising committee as the IT and website manager, and one of the cellar deputies. Poppy Hayhurst: minutes secretary, press officer and social media coordinator 2017 was a bit of a whirlwind for me in terms of Sheffield & District CAMRA. My first ever meeting was the AGM where I found myself taking responsibility for the branch’s social media activity. The past year has seen us gain over 400 new followers, as well increase engagement with our content month by month. Our campaigns have been key to this, especially the 43rd Steel City Beer & Cider Festival and the 2018 AGM roundup. I love that through this position I am contacted daily by pubs, breweries, clubs and individuals across the city sharing their events and news with me! This year my responsibilities have grown to include managing press enquiries for the branch and the festival, and I have also become the minutes secretary. I’m really excited to see what challenges, celebrations and changes this year will bring for the branch. Dom Nelson: magazine editor I’m still relatively new to Sheffield & District CAMRA, having joined the committee last year. The past 12 months have been really enjoyable for me, editing Beer Matters and getting involved at various events, particularly last year’s Steel City festival. There’s been some major improvements to the magazine recently and I believe we have one of the finest CAMRA publications in the country (and many people seem to agree!). I especially enjoy getting to know the latest news from Sheffield’s pubs and breweries. This year I’m also going to be the Stalls Manager at SCBF44 too so I’m sure you’ll see me around somewhere, most likely with a pint in hand! Andy Cullen: social secretary Andy has been actively involved in CAMRA for over 15 years 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, chairman 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 and this year he is coordinating the beer tasting events. Andy Shaw: membership secretary, clubs officer and others A CAMRA member since 1977, Andy has served on numerous branch committees around the country over the past 40 years. He has also been a member of various national committees over the years and was on CAMRA’s National Executive from 2012-2018. He has been on the Sheffield & District committee since 2017, when he stepped in to fill a few vacant positions including membership secretary and clubs officer. Alan Gibbons: Pub of the Year and Good Beer Guide coordinator Alan has been a CAMRA member since the early days of the campaign in the 1970s. He has been on the Sheffield & District committee for many years, holding almost every position at one time or another. He is currently serving as the coordinator of our Pub of the Year and Pub of the Month competitions, as well as the branch’s entries in the Good Beer Guide. He will also be the Products Manager at SCBF44. Dave Pickersgill: pub heritage officer Dave has been a CAMRA member since the 1970’s and has worked at well over forty Sheffield CAMRA festivals, plus a fair number of others. He is Brewery Liaison Officer (BLO) for Abbeydale, Blue Bee and Bradfield. A member of the National Pub Heritage Group, he leads on Planning and Pub Heritage issues. He edits our series of Pub Heritage walk booklets. 2025 saw the third: Neepsend. He also edited the Sheffield Pub Heritage book, for which downloads have vastly exceeded expectations. The first hard copy was available in October 2018: the 5th edition is available both as a hard copy and a free download:  https://sheffield.camra.org.uk/rhp/ Dave was local organiser for the 2023 National CAMRA Members’ Weekend, AGM and Conference which was held at Sheffield University on 21-23 April. Sarah Mills: cider champion Hi, my name is Sarah Mills. I have been a member of CAMRA for about eight years. I was encouraged to join because I wanted to get involved with the beer festival. I joined at the time when cider was a small sideline and since I have been joint cider bar manager I have seen it go from strength to strength. I enjoy talking about the ciders we sell and like to encourage customers to try the new things we have on offer. Malcolm Dixon: RambAles coordinator Malcolm is a long time CAMRA member. Following retirement after a lengthy railway career, latterly in York, he and his wife, Jenny, moved back to Sheffield a couple of years ago. Since then they have joined in and enjoyed various branch activities. They currently help devise and lead the RambAles along with Dave Pickersgill, and Malcolm will be the Staffing Manager at this year’s Steel City Beer & Cider Festival.

Dom’s Casks of the Month

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
In last month’s Beer Matters, I promised to make a special effort to break with tradition and try some of the paler offerings on Sheffield’s handpumps. The recent spell of decent weather has made it easier to do just that, with the golden ales, IPAs and wheat beers perfectly complimenting the longer, warmer days. How long either the British summer or my new-found affection for pale ales will last, who can say? Anyway, I’ll enjoy them both while they last! Here are three of my favourites from the last few weeks: What: Ellensberg (4.3%) – Harbour (Cornwall) Where: Ale House, Fraser Road This was my first visit to this community-owned pub which is somewhat off the beaten track, between Millhouses and Woodseats. I was pleasantly surprised with the great range of real ales on offer, but the best of the bunch was this session IPA. The beer poured a clear amber colour with a thin head and had a fantastic citrus aroma. Oranges were the predominant flavour rather than the usual hoppy bitterness of stronger IPAs. A great, smooth, drinkable beer that justified the decision to leave the car at home! What: Hildur (4.8%) – Neepsend (Sheffield) Where: Dorothy Pax, Victoria Quays A fleeting spell of good weather in the middle of April presented the perfect opportunity to head down to Victoria Quays. This rhubarb wheat beer provided some much-needed refreshment on a blisteringly hot day. I’ve always been a fan of Bavarian-style wheat beers and while this perhaps wasn’t quite in their league, it was a great homage with a Yorkshire twist. The beer had the traditional cloudy appearance, and the tartness of rhubarb was a great foil for the wheat beer yeast. The fact it was served at the perfect temperature was a bonus too! What: Ryed Like the Wind (4.0%) – Hopjacker (Dronfield) Where: White Lion, Heeley This makes two months in a row that a beer from the White Lion has made it into my Casks of the Month, a testament to the fantastic range of guest ales available there. This rye pale ale brewed with Chinook hops was unfined, giving it a distinctive hazy, golden look with a foamy, white head. On tasting, this was full of hop character with a slightly savoury flavour from the rye. A really nice sessionable pale. I’ll see you next month with three more of my favourite cask beers from the last few weeks (beer styles weather-dependent)! Dominic Nelson

May Pub of the Month presentation

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
Nestled in the middle of our week of presentations for the branch’s annual awards was our regular Pub of the Month presentation. A host of Sheffield & District CAMRA members made their way to the White Lion, London Road, on Tuesday 8 May to see licensees Jon Terry and Mandy Billings presented with the award for May 2018.
Vice-chairman Patrick Johnson (left) presents the May Pub of the Month award to the White Lion staff. Credit: John Beardshaw.
There was a great atmosphere around the place, with visitors for the presentation joined by both pub regulars and music fans attending the regular Tuesday evening live session. As always, there was a great selection of real ales available, particularly the range of guest beers on offer. Following the award, a selection of nibbles was also provided and very much appreciated. Congratulations once more to Jon, Mandy and all the staff at the White Lion on their award. Keep up the good work!

Club of the Year presentation

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A busy week of presentations kicked off with the presentation of our the Sheffield & District CAMRA Club of the Year award to the Interval Café Bar on Saturday 5 May. The handover of the certificate had been timed to coincide with the annual University of Sheffield Students’ Union Beer Festival which took place over the May Day bank holiday weekend, and festival-goers were treated to some fabulously sunny weather along with an excellent range of beers and ciders.
Andy Shaw (left) hands over the Club of the Year award to Interval manager Richard Jourdain. Credit: John Beardshaw.
From the selection of bars located in the Students’ Union, Interval is the one with the most focus on real ale, with seven handpumps available. It is open to non-students during the day and also offers a good range of food. Our Clubs Officer, Andy Shaw, made the presentation to Interval manager Richard Jourdain on behalf of the branch. In his speech, Andy recognised the contribution that Interval makes in promoting quality real ale to the student community and congratulated Richard and his team on their well-deserved award. We would like to say well done once again to everyone at Interval for their success!