You may recall the winner of the 2023 Champion Beer of Britain, Elland 1872 Porter, was announced back in August.
The process has now begun for the 2024 competition and involves CAMRA members voting for beers to be entered into the competition. All regularly brewed real ales are eligible and all members are entitled to vote, choosing their top 5 beers in each category. Voting closes on 1 November after which beers go through regional judging via blind tastings at various beer festivals, culminating in judging at the grand final in London with the winner announced at the trade & media day at the Great British Beer Festival.
We’ve teamed up with our good friends at Ossett Brewery to create a hybrid between two of our much loved core beers! After making Silver Moon at their place earlier this year (no prizes for working out this was a mash-up of Moonshine and Silver King!), our recipe is a fusion of Deception and White Rat. Name currently TBC but expect a delicious and classic pale ale with a robust bitterness and fruity character.
Doctor Morton’s Four Yorkshiremen make a return, with Simcoe and Amarillo hops giving notes of spicy pine coupled with juicy stone fruits, and a pleasant citrus bitterness.
And a special double release is coming up too. Archangel and Dark Angel will both be 4.5% and feature the same hops, but one a pale and one a stout! This has been a really fun project so we’re looking forward to trying them side by side.
From our Brewers Emporium, the freshest variation of our Heathen APA is a showcase of new innovations which are making waves in the beer world! Incognito Heathen (4.1%) is single hopped with Mosaic, which this time is added in Incognito and Spectrum form – these are cutting edge hop products which bring maximum flavour impact in a super efficient, more environmentally friendly way. Expect big citrus notes, a punchy tropical character, and a clean, zesty finish.
And finally, we’re joining the battle for the Soul of Sheffield, with a 5.6% amplified IPA brewed in collaboration with Sheffield institution and legend of late nights, The Leadmill. Single hopped with Vic Secret for a clean and vibrant character with oodles of tropical fruit notes riffing alongside a delicately herbal finish. At the time of typing, we’re awaiting the outcome of the public hearing which takes place on 18th September, but whatever happens, #wecantloseleadmill.
CAMRA has just unveiled the winners of its prestigious Pub Design Awards, which recognise the most innovative new projects of architecture, design and conservation in British pubs across the country.
There are five winners and four highly commended pubs across different categories ranging from refurbishment to new build in this year’s awards. These include:
New Build (assessing newly built pubs in 2022):
Strawberry Thief, Swindon(winner) – An ambitious new-build pub for Arkell’s brewery in a new development on the edge of Swindon known as Tadpole Village.
Conversion to Pub Use Award:
Turk’s Head, Exeter(winner) – Originally an inn for over 700 years, this property was entirely reconfigured from a pizza restaurant into a functional pub whilst keeping its historical character.
bod Matlock, Matlock (highly commended) – A building that originally housed a Boots chemist, which retains its art deco heritage.
Fourth Fiend, Meltham(highly commended) – a conversion by the local Three Fiends Brewery of a 19th Century school building later used as a Conservative Club. Use of traditional features such as matchboarding and different wall finishes gives the impression that a single large space is divided into ‘bar’ and ‘lounge’ areas.
Refurbishment:
Cadogan Arms, London(winner, pictured above) – The restoration of the pub sought to recreate the lost early Georgian architectural details and ornate timber panelling of the original building.
The George, London (highly commended) – The intensive renovation of this pub pays homage to its history as a hub for the political, cultural and social movements of the late 18th century.
Historic England Conservation Award (sponsored by Historic England, this award is given for work which conserves the pub’s architectural features, whilst updating its facilities):
Black Lion, London(winner) – A Grade II* listed property dating back to 1898, with features of special historical interest in the main bar and dining room.
Spread Eagle, London(highly commended) – A pub and hotel that has been sensitively restored to a very high standard, harking back to its glorious hey-day, whilst being exceeding respectful to the fabric of the building.
Community Local (reserved for outstanding refurbished street-corner locals):
Gordon Arms, Bedford(winner) – A neighbourhood hangout which offers great beer, tasty food and friendly service.
CAMRA will be celebrating the achievement with a presentation event at the Cadogan Arms on Tuesday September 5th, which is open to the press. Please contact press@camra.org.uk for more details.
CAMRA’s Awards Director Laura Emson adds: “We hope beer-lovers across the country will seek out these examples of excellence and plan visits to them whether they are local or just visiting. It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the pub industry, so let’s all support our locals this year and raise a glass to these shining examples in pub excellence.”
The celebration takes place during CAMRA’s Summer of Pub campaign, which aims to promote pub-going post-pandemic while raising a glass to our locals.
Yorkshire’s multi award-winning Acorn Brewery is set for growth with a change of ownership at the 20-year-old Barnsley brewery.
Launched in 2003 on an ex-Firkin 10-brewers-barrel plant, Acorn’s cask-ales quickly gained renown to see expansion to a 25-barrel brewery in Wombwell. Today there is the capacity to produce 170 brewers-barrels (278 hectolitres) a week with annual turnover of some £1m.
Now, directors Dave and Christy Hughes have decided that new ownership is needed to take the business forward. The brewery has been sold to Sonas Capital; a Greater Manchester based company specialising in developing successful small businesses (SMEs).
Over the years, Acorn has been much celebrated for its traditional Barnsley Bitter (3.8%abv) and Old Moor Porter (4.4%abv) in its core range.* Most recently Barnsley Bitter took overall champion at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) North Beer Competition.
With the sale, the employment of the seven strong brewery team has been secured and a general manager will be recruited. Founder Dave Hughes will continue in a consultancy role for the forseeable future while Christy will take retirement, due to recent ill-health.
Dave Hughes said: “We have enjoyed 20 successful years since launching in Barnsley with just my late first wife Judy and our current brewer Steve Bunting. In recent years, with Christy heading marketing and sales, we have continued to drive the brewery forward, despite being badly hit by the Covid pandemic. Throughout lockdowns we continually brewed, pouring the beer away, to regularly refresh our unique original Barnsley Brewery yeast strain from the 1800s, so we recovered quickly. Now we feel we have taken the business as far as we can and we are handing it on in very good shape to Sonas.
“We wish to thank the team for their loyal support across the years. I look forward to continuing to work with them in my consultancy role. We must also thank our valued suppliers, loyal trade customers and, of course, our ever-faithful fans for their ongoing support for our beers.”
“This is a very exciting time for Acorn and we would like to reassure those suppliers, licensees and beer fans that the brewery is going into good hands. We are confident that Sonas will continue to reflect our passion with the energy and impetus to take the business forward, maintaining our highest standards of products and service under our banner of Tradition and Innovation.”
Acorn directly supplies outlets across the North of England and further afield through wholesalers and pub companies. The core of the business remains cask-conditioned ale but bottled and keg beers are also produced. Barnsley Bitter and Old Moor Porter are exported to Italy in keg and bottle in summer with some supplied in cask for the winter months.
Brendan Fitzpatrick of Sonas said: “Acorn has an outstanding reputation for their product quality and great service and we see the business as a perfect fit for our portfolio. We are dedicated to empowering companies through investment and strong marketing to realise their full potential.
“Dave and Christy Hughes are delighted to be working closely with the founder of Sonas Capital, a boutique investment business who just also happen to love beer, as they begin their transition away from the business. Dave will move to a more technical and creative role alongside the brewing team whilst the Sonas team will focus on the development and growth of the business in what are challenging times for the industry.”
Acorn was advised on the deal by Brian McCann and Angela Downey from Shareholder Strategies as well as Ryan Marr from Jolliffes Solicitors. Sonas Capital was advised by Guy Bartlett from Fidelis Advisory and Tom Sutcliffe from Excello Law.
Acorn is acclaimed for brewing more than 150 single hop variety IPAs (India Pale Ales) since 2006 – only the hops change for each carefully crafted cask brew and each release has been warmly welcomed. To mark the brewery’s 20th anniversary a celebratory pale ale ‘Two Decades’ (4%abv) will be brewed for the Wetherspoons annual beer festival in October.
The month-long charity event will run throughout September in 13 of Sheffield’s favourite bars and pubs, with each brewery offering a special edition beer. ‘Tempo’ from True North Brew Co. and ‘Set The Pace’ from Abbeydale Brewery will be available in all participating venues. For each Half Pint Marathon beer purchased throughout September, a donation will be made to local charity Sheffield Mind.
Sheffield Mind is a Sheffield-based charity which provides support to people with mental health issues. Sheffield Mind Business Development Manager Lindsay Doyle-Price said “Sheffield Mind is delighted to be a part of the Sheffield Half Pint Marathon again this year. The ongoing support of True North Brew Co. and the support of Abbeydale Brewery this year means a lot to us.
Not only does this annual partnership generate much-needed funds to support the work we do in the city, but by engaging local people in the campaign the teams are helping raise awareness of mental health and the work Sheffield Mind does to support people with mental health needs.”
The premise of the Sheffield Half Pint Marathon is simple – at the starting venue of your choice, you will receive your Half Pint Marathon card. Then, for each venue you visit and purchase one of the speciality beers in, you receive a sticker. Register online, and when your card is completed, you will receive an email to let you know when and where you can collect your limited-edition print.
The Sheffield Half Pint Marathon print features hand-drawn illustrations of the participating venues by the incredibly talented Will Rea.
Participants can complete the marathon at their own pace, in a day, week or even over the whole month.
Dean Hollingworth, Brewer at True North Brew Co. said “The Sheffield Half Pint Marathon is something we’re proud to hold every year.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for people to get together and visit some of Sheffield’s best independent pubs and bars. We’re looking forward to seeing people enjoy our special edition beers ‘Tempo’ from us and ‘Set the Pace’ from Abbeydale Brewery and, more importantly, raising money for Sheffield Mind”
Sam Webber from Abbeydale Brewery said: “We were delighted when True North approached us to be part of the Half Pint Marathon this year. It’s a great concept that brings together a fantastic list of pubs for drinkers to enjoy the beers at, as well as supporting an important charity.”
Whether you’re a local or a visitor, beer lover or beer novice, the Sheffield Half Pint Marathon is not to be missed!
The Sheffield Half Pint Marathon runs throughout September 2023. More information is available at www.truenorthbrewco.uk/halfpintmarathon or on socials @sheffhalfpint.
Survey figures suggest lack of faith in political leaders to protect pubs. Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) issues warning to politicians ahead of approaching general election.
Just two days after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attended CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival, new research commissioned by the consumer campaigning group shows 2 in 5 Brits (43%) don’t trust any of the Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat political party leaders to look out for the interests of British pubs.
Labour’s Keir Starmer fared best, with 17% of Britons saying they would trust him to look out for the interests of pubs, whilst current Conservative PM, Rishi Sunak, only had the trust of 9%. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey came in at the bottom of the pack with just 3% of Brits saying they would trust him to look out for the interests of pubs.
Consumer organisation CAMRA has always maintained party-political neutrality in its campaigning, having worked closely with all major political parties in its 50-year history. The network of grassroots campaigners that make up the 150,000 strong organisation work with elected representatives at every level, as well as fighting for pubs, social clubs, brewers and cider makers with more direct campaigning.
Despite recent lobbying successes for the Campaign, including the introduction of a lower rate of tax for beer and cider sold on draught, the organisation voiced its concerns for the future of British pubs.
CAMRA’s National Chairman, Nik Antona commented, “Sadly, this data suggests that the public’s perception is that our beloved locals have often been an afterthought in politics. We often hear politicians playing lip service to the community and social value of our locals – which is brilliant – but we need that to be backed up with meaningful action.
“With a general election approaching, these results should be a wake up call for politicians, who need to have substantive policies in place to address the catalogue of issues facing the pub trade.
“CAMRA believes our pubs and social clubs deserve a fighting chance with urgent action needed on energy prices, Business Rates, a fix for the takeaway pints issue caused by the new Alcohol Duty system, and the right for licensees to choose what products they keep on the bar without stock lists being dictated by pub companies.”
Elland’s 1872 Porter crowned the Champion Beer of Britain
Elland Brewery’s 1872 Porter (6.5% ABV) has struck gold and has been crowned the best in Britain after winning the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) prestigious Champion Beer of Britain competition.
The 1872 Porter was crowned the official winner at this year’s Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), following a rigorous and hard-fought competition. The beer has been awarded Champion Winter Beer of Britain four times previously, the most recent being this year.
Champion Beer of Britain co-ordinator Christine Cryne said it was a deserving champion, despite incredibly strong competition. She described the beer as a ruby black porter, with chocolate and caramelised fruit flavours with a hint of black toffee on the nose. The judges enjoyed its smooth mouthfeel with a finish that is roasty and dry. A satisfying and remarkably easy drinking porter.
The award – one of the most coveted real ale competitions in the world – puts the winner firmly in both the national and international spotlight. It was exclusively revealed at today’s GBBF trade session today (1 August).
Festival visitors will be able to enjoy sampling this year’s newly crowned champion, along with the well-deserved silver and bronze winners’ beer, which will be on sale at the festival, marked by rosettes and special pump clips.
Runners up were Silver prize winner Abbot (5%) from Greene King Brewery, described as a classic premium bitter with typical fruit hops and malty throughout; and Bronze winner Darwin’s Origin (4.3%) from Salopian Brewery, which impressed judges with citrus, earthy hops and a flavour that starts fruity and fades into a pleasant bittersweet finish.
Brewer Rob Thomas said: “It is absolutely unbelievable to win this accolade, we really didn’t expect it. For a team of three people to win the supreme award is fantastic. There is a real passion for more traditional styles – and for a very good reason, they taste fantastic!
“The beer is steeped in history with the recipe dating back more than 150 years. We thrive on these sorts of styles and this is testament to what people enjoy drinking: steeped in history, tradition while embracing innovation.
He added: “Since lockdown, we have faced many challenges and difficult times and this is testament to our small team and our unwavering loyalty to succeed. We passionately believe in our products and people do get excited to try everything we make, we are incredibly proud to take home the crown.”
Laura Emson, CAMRA’s National Director responsible for the competition, says: “Congratulations to Elland Brewery for winning this year’s Champion Beer of Britain Award. As ever, it was a highly competitive final, with the judges having a difficult decision to make. Congratulations to all the finalists – it really shows the wide range and amazing cask beers which are available for all to enjoy.
“Huge thanks to all the competitors for taking part and to the judges who had a tough decision to make! It is a real honour to be part of this competition and to see how much hard work, professionalism and dedication goes into producing the best of the best.”
Judging takes place over almost a year from individual nominations at the outset, to local and regional competitions taking place, ahead of a day of rigorous and intensive judging at GBBF.
Baltic Trader by Green Jack Brewing is crowned the Champion Bottled Beer of Britain
In a closely fought competition, Baltic Trader (10.5%) has been awarded the CAMRA’s prestigious Champion Bottled Beer of Britain award. The annual competition recognises the best bottle-conditioned real ales in the country.
Judges described the Extra Strong Export Stout as a ruby black strong stout with a stunning oyster head. It had dark roast, black treacle and currants on the nose with alcohol and a very rich smooth mouthfeel. Dry black chocolate, hints of cherry, caramelised fruits and a growing bitter roasty finish that is sweet and lingering. A beer to be savoured.
The well-deserved runners up included Dhustone Stout (4.3%) by Hobsons Brewery who scooped silver and McGregor’s Mild (3.8%) by Five Kingdoms Brewery took home the bronze award.
Announced at the Great British Beer Festival following the grand final with a panel of esteemed judges, previous judging rounds included a series of local member voting rounds and regional judging competitions throughout the year.
Tim Dunford, owner of Green Jack Brewing said, “Thank you to all who voted for Baltic Trader, a lifetime achievement has been met. This is one of the highlights in 30 years of brewing. The team and I are beyond pleased. Another great accolade for Green Jack!”
Laura Emson of CAMRA’s National Executive, who made the announcement, said: “Huge congratulations to this year’s worthy winner of the Champion Bottled Beer of Britain award. Celebrating bottled conditioned cask beer is important; by giving consumers more choice, while offering brewers across the country more opportunities to get a wider range of drinks to the public. As ever the dedication, professionalism and hard work put into bottled beer by brewery teams across the country was evident from the high-quality beers judged this year.
“Bottled and canned beer offers such a wide range of choice and options, giving vitally important choice to real ale lovers across the UK. Congratulations to our very deserved runners up this year; the quality this year has been amazing. I look forward to seeing these bottled beers in pubs, clubs and tap rooms across the country.”
CAMRA has its bottle and canned accreditation scheme, dubbed ‘One to Try’ to support more breweries producing ‘live beer’ and making it easier for brewers to sign up.
The brewer of tomorrow announced at the Great British Beer Festival
In the second year of its Homebrew Competition, Patrick Davies has been named as the “brewer of tomorrow” at this year’s Great British Beer Festival (GBBF). The judges crowned Magnificent Frigate Strong Mild (6.2%) as its worthy winner following a rigorous competition.
Davies took home first prize, which invites him to Brewhouse & Kitchen in Worthing to brew his winning beer in a 500L kit under the supervision and support of the head brewer, which will be sold and distributed across local CAMRA festivals. The brewer describes his beer as an ‘end of a night beer’, which is rich and warming and smooth.
Davies, who began brewing in 2016, said: “This award is very exciting and unexpected, I used to work in very ale-y pubs and learnt a lot about beer, and felt the best way to learn more was to begin making it myself. I’m incredibly excited to see how the beer tastes when brewed in a professional kit.”
The Silver award was presented to Golden Dragon, brewed by Richard Roseblade, who will take home a case of eight craft beers every month for a year, courtesy of Beer52. Bronze was awarded to Old Claire, brewed by Mark Robotham, who has won four VIP tickets for the next Great British Beer Festival in 2024.
Catherine Tonry, GBBF Festival organiser said: “I am delighted to give this award to Patrick, it’s testament to the passion and love our brewers of tomorrow have for live beer. To announce the results at trade day at GBBF gives all the finalists in attendance the opportunity to talk with the wider industry and build their networks as they continue their brewing venture.
“Some of the best beers in the UK started from small beginnings and it is vital we work with brewers who may be starting out on their journey, while recognising their commitment and hard work.
“Now in its second year, the award is well-established as a national homebrew competition, I look forward to seeing some of the best beers of tomorrow being produced by both current and future competitors.”
The competition spanned across a host different beer styles, from milds and IPAs to barley wines and porters.
We’re getting September off to a celebratory start! New from our Restoration series we have an Irish Red Ale (4.3%), a special release created especially for our brewer Thom’s wedding to the lovely Lisa. Gently sweet with notes of caramel, balanced by a piney, spicy edge. The addition of Columbus, Cascade and Centennial gives a modern American-style twist and a fresh, light bitterness.
For our cask only specials, we’re starting to head towards autumn with Harvested (4.1%), a lip-smacking pale ale with Galaxy hops for a deliciously tropical flavour and delicate notes of melon. Doctor Morton’s Demon Drink (4.2%) features Citra, Cascade and Chinook hops for a citrussy character and a gentle grassiness. And from our Geoglyph series we’ll have Ursa Major (4.0%), easy drinking with a punchy bitter finish.
AND IT’S BACK… yes it’s that time of year again and our Pumpkin Spiced Ale Pilgrim (5.0%) will be rolling out from the middle of the month ready to get you in the mood for spooky shenanigans. And this year it’s got a stouty friend! Twilight Pilgrim (also 5.0%) is ready to make its debut – we’re keeping some of the details under wraps just for now, but we absolutely can’t wait for this one.
The Riverside Cafe in Hillsborough is now only opening the upstairs bar on Sheffield Wednesday match days and for private functions.
Some have asked whatever happened to the plans to restore and open Barrowboys under the Commercial Street bridge. It is still happening, however problems with the drains need to be dealt with first then it will be full steam ahead to create a rock bar in the space!
The Two & Six Micropub opened on Saturday 5 August at 26 Snig Hill in Sheffield City Centre. This is the unit that was previously home to theSocial bar and behind the new venture is Juliet and Dan, Juliet being the manager who was employed to run theSocial. The bar offers a choice of real ales, craft beer on keg, wines and spirits in a cosy and comfortable micropub atmosphere, there is a downstairs function room and the opening hours are Wednesday/Thursday 2pm to 10pm, Friday/Satuday 12pm-11pm and Sunday 2pm-8pm.
The Sportsman at Lodge Moor had another successful Gillyfest and raised £2,580.13 for St Luke’s There were eight bands throughout the day on the outdoor stage. Fairground stalls, children’s play area, BBQ and outdoor bar it was a family event. Beers both inside and out were Bradfield Farmers Blonde and Taylor’s Landlord.
The Beer House S6 at Hillsborough have now opened their downstairs room, which contains a pool table.
Recent reopenings include the Brown Bear in Sheffield City Centre and the Closed Shop on Commonside.
Lost in West Bar have been running a 10% off cask ale promotion on Sundays.
Heist Brew Co. are hosting a Northern Monk tap takeover on Friday 25 August.
Perch Bar are hosting a Belgian beer festival from 1 to 3 September.
Chantry Brewery’s tap room, a short walk from Parkgate tram terminus, has introduced a monthly Northern Soul DJ night on the first Friday of the month with free entry, from 7pm to midnight. Coinciding with the launch of this event Chantry launched a new beer, Vespa, a 4% ABV pale ale with the image of a classic scooter on the pump clip and bottle label! The brewery tap also continues to have a busy programme of ticketed gigs!
Drone Valley Brewery will once again be hosting a pop up bar at the Bradway Action Group’s annual family fun day which takes place on the Bradway Village Green on Saturday 9 September from 1:30pm to 4pm. The Village Green can be found on the junction of Bradway Road and Twentywell Lane (near the shops) and you can get there on buses 25 or M17.
As Sheffield Tigers clubhouse won the Sheffield CAMRA’s Club of the Year 2023 I decided to pop along to the clubhouse and meet up with Tim, their bar manager to discuss things beer and Tigers.
Sheffield Tigers are a local rugby club who play at Dore Moor and currently play in National League 2 North and their clubhouse is basically open when the teams play or train, usually Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and on Sundays.
The clubhouse is warm and welcoming with TVs for Sport and enough room to seat around 60 people with a bar area to the end of the clubhouse. Here they serve traditional Sheffield beers on Cask from Abbeydale brewery, namely “Moonshine” and “Daily Bread” coupled to a variety of keg beers, lagers, Cider and Guinness. There is also an array of various wines and spirits.
Tim was keen to express just how good the Cask beer is and how they have invested in new modern cellar technology to be able to serve a perfect pint, also making sure the staff are properly trained in pint pulling.
So, its easy to see why Tigers were nominated and on a match day the bar is usually full with people both enjoy rugby and a good pint of beer, and the ambience and atmosphere is friendly and usually buzzing.
Add to this that Tigers hold their own beer festival every August and you have a great combination. This year they are expecting around 40 Cask beers and around 10 Keg beers from in and around Sheffield for you to try in a very pleasant marquee setting. A few pictures from last year’s event are here…
We’re presenting their award at their beer festival on Friday 25 August, 7:30pm. All welcome. Buses 65, 271 and 272 pass the end of their drive or buses to Dore (81/82) are a short walk away.
