CAMRA Sheffield & District
Sheffield & District branch of CAMRA
Former branch chairman, current Beer Matters distribution volunteer and general all round local legend John Beardshaw has provided this photograph from the archives showing him along with publicans Roy Tilney and Margaret plus the brewery area manager at a CAMRA pub of the month award presentation at the Meadow Street Hotel in October 1996. The photograph was featured in the Wards brewery staff magazine, Inn Sight.
Tapped have now completed a minor rebrand. There are also three new beers released during May, these are Gresley, a 3.5% Light Mild brewed to coincide with CAMRA month of Mild in May; Hope Valley, a 4.8% US Pale hopped with Centennial, Columbus and Chinook; Cannon 4.2%, a Best Bitter brewed with a blend of 4 malts and hopped with WGV.
We’ve got cask specials galore for the month of May, with three beers released in cask only on the way! Look to try a pint of Arson, a 4.4% golden ale with Willamette & Delta hops, Decadence, a 4.0% pale with Dr Rudi hops for a good hit of bitterness and a clean grassy character, and Dr Morton’s Cask Paint, which promises to be a 4.1% pale ale, but the hops are TBC at the time of writing!
From our Brewers Emporium range, coming soon is Wanderer – 75 Minute IPA, a powerfully pithy and resinous IPA at 6.7%, loaded with Simcoe, Citra and Centennial hops. And we sincerely hope we’ll be seeing some warmer weather as spring starts to gradually move towards summer, but we’re bringing our own sunshine regardless with a double Radler release in our Unbeliever series, bringing back both the Lemon variety (2.8%) and our “Shefferhofer” Grapefruit version (3.0%).
Finally… we’re planning to welcome back arguably the most requested beer we’ve ever released – yep, you got it, our souped up Mosaic single hopped American Pale Ale Cryo Heathen (5.0%) should be back on bars by the end of the month!
Steel City’s latest beer is Vlad the Invader, a collaboration (in concept at least!) with Team Toxic and Lost Industry brewed to raise funds for the Ukrainian relief effort. A mash heavy on roasted barley and chocolate malt was then boosted by the addition of demerara and muscovado sugars, giving a sweet rum-like finish and liquorice notes. Styrian Wolf hops give bitterness to offset the sweetness and a lightly fruity aroma and a hint of coconut, while Ukrainian sunflower seeds add, erm, Ukrainianness mainly. The first cask flew out at the Rutland, a second has gone to Tom Said, a micropub in Ripley but actually for their mini-fest at their warehouse in Alfreton (29-30 April), and also donating their profits on the beer to Ukrainian aid. Kegs and cans have gone out to bars and shops across the country, and the brew raised around £800 for the DEC Ukraine appeal.
Another delivery from Speyside Cooperage enabled the start of the 2022 barrel aging programme, with rum and brandy barrels for an imperial stout, and another brandy barrel for the Astral Mariner Baltic porter. All three will be released in cask, keg and can towards the end of the year.
Dave Szwejkowski, Steel City Brewing.
CAMRA’s ‘Summer of Pub’ campaign is back this year to get as many people as possible enjoying the season of good – or at least better – weather by heading down to their local for a pint.
We will be celebrating how our nation’s pubs offer numerous benefits to people’s mental and social well-being and play an instrumental role in the communities they serve. After two years of lockdowns, restrictions and unprecedented pub closures, this is a time to celebrate being able to return to our locals and to recognise everything they have done throughout the pandemic.
Campaigning to support Britain’s pubs is something anyone can get involved in and can be as simple as stepping out the door and taking a stroll to a local. If you can encourage some friends or family to join you, then all the better. Drinking cheap supermarket booze at home does little to improve your life – but change that setting to the social environment of a pub and you can increase your happiness, make friends and connect with others in your local community, while still enjoying the tipple of your choice.
CAMRA’s National Chairman, Nik Antona, said: “We are kicking off on 2 May to coincide with the first Bank Holiday of the summer, and the celebrations will run until the last summer Bank Holiday on 29 August.
“This is the first time in two years that we’ve been able to come together and support pubs, clubs, brewers and cider makers in this way, and I urge everyone to make the most of this summer by joining in with Summer of Pub however they can.
“The financial aftershocks of the pandemic, combined with recent tax hikes mean that this is a difficult time for the trade. It is vital we give them all the support we can, so that we can continue to enjoy everything that makes our nation’s pubs so special for many summers to come.
“If your idea of a perfect summer involves a pint and a beer garden, then get involved, and start your Summer of Pub.”
As the season progresses, make sure to plan a pub visit for some of our key celebratory dates, whether it’s Pub Pride Day (27 May), the Jubilee Bank Holiday (3-5 June), Beer Day Britain, and Beer Day NI (15 June), the Women’s Euros (6-31 July), the return of the UK’s biggest beer festival at the Great British Beer Festival (4-8 August), or one of many others, leading up to the closing PUBlic Bank Holiday weekend (29 August).
So head down to the pub, make friends and memories, and – most importantly – shout about how much you love your local this Summer.
You can join the fun by supporting Summer of Pub on social media. Let us know how you’ll be celebrating by sharing photos of you and friends in the pub using the hashtag #SummerofPub. To find out more and see Summer of Pub events near you, visit camra.org.uk/summerofpub.
Locally-Produced Cider Returns to Sheffield at The Cider Hole!
Sheffield’s only cider-centric bar and urban micro-cidery has released its first three batches, produced with apples collected from 31 houses around the city of Sheffield.
In September 2021, The Cider Hole opened in Kelham Island, becoming Sheffield’s only cider-centric bar. This March, The Cider Hole fulfilled its promise of also becoming Sheffield’s only urban micro-cidery by releasing three ciders produced on-site.
The Cider Hole has begun pouring three 200-litre batches of cider – all of which contain local Sheffield apples and two of which were produced with 100% local apples collected from gardens around the area.
“As far as I am aware, no one has been producing cider using locally-sourced Sheffield apples in the city for at least a couple years,” said The Cider Hole’s owner and cidermaker Mike Pomranz who has been covering the cider industry as a journalist for seven years. “I’m excited to be salvaging fruit from people’s gardens and turning it into Sheffield’s best cider… not that I have any competition!”
This past autumn, Pomranz put out calls on Facebook and Reddit asking if anyone with extra apples would donate them in exchange for free cider. He received over 70 leads and eventually collected apples (and some pears) from 31 different houses around Sheffield – including plenty of unexpectedly interesting finds in neighbourhoods like Crookes and Pitsmoor. He then crushed, pressed, and fermented all of the fruit in his tiny shipping container bar in Krynkl on Shalesmoor.
All three ciders are being served in thirds and halves directly from the fermenters until either all of the cider has been consumed or bottling becomes required. Refillable milk bottles are also available for takeaway.
The Cider Hole also continues to be open as a bar and now stocks over 60 ciders as well as a large selection of beers and wine. For hours, check The Cider Hole’s website: istheciderholeopen.com.
The Cider Hole, Unit 1.3, Krynkl, 294 Shalesmoor, Sheffield, S3 8UL. Shalesmoor tram stop is across the road.
Following careful review of their existing range of beers, and listening to customer feedback, Welbeck Abbey Brewery have decided to reduce and update their core range to just four ales. The ever popular ‘Red Feather’ will be staying and will be joined by three exciting new beers, all very different from each other. This will allow for greater availability of innovative ‘monthly specials’ throughout the year.
Managing Director, Claire Monk says:
“After 10 years supplying beer into pubs, restaurants, and bottle shops, we felt it was time to review our core range, and as such, our brewing team have been working hard over the last three months to hone recipes, using modern techniques to get the very best flavours from traditional malt and hops. By having a broader mix of ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’ beers in both the core range and specials on offer, we hope to appeal to a wider customer base. Having a smaller range of core beers plus more innovative specials will lend itself much better to our new bottled range, and with a joint approach across cask and bottled beer we hope to get drinkers excited about Welbeck and gain traction in areas of the market we have yet to break into.”
In a further exciting development, the brewery has had its own, in-house bottling line installed.
Brewer Tom Roe explains:
“This gives us full control over how we process our beer on site. We’ve taken the decision to move away from filtered and force-carbonated bottled beers, to the more natural process of bottle-conditioning. The benefits of this include increased flavour profile through no filtration and a slower maturation, ensuring that our bottled beer is as flavoursome as possible. It also means we can cut down on the use of plastic, transportation and externally sourced C02, improving our carbon footprint, something which is important to us here at Welbeck. Having a bottling line on-site also allows us to produce smaller, one-off batches of beer which we are very excited about.”
The new core range will include a 5% West Coast American IPA, a crisp Continental Pale at 4.4% and a 3.7% Golden English session ale. Monthly specials will always include a dark ale as porters and stouts remain popular, as well as low strength session ales, well hopped IPAs, and everything else in between.
These fabulous new beers will be in pubs from the week commencing 11th of April, and if you want to find out more, Claire will be holding a Meet The Brewer event at The Winchester in Sherwood on Thursday 21st of April, as well as tastings at Welbeck Farm Shop on Saturday 30th of April. Bottled beers are available to buy online, with free local delivery and 10% off if you spend over £45.
Chantry Brewery recently welcomed three new 40-barrel vessels into their premises at Parkgate, Rotherham. Previously used as storage, the team made the decision to expand into their second unit due to the popularity of their award-winning ales. They found a better way to utilise the space by adding in their new vessels which each hold 12,670 pints!
Director and Co-Owner, Mick Warburton is enthralled by the expansion plans, and he puts their success down to brewing ales that are only made with the finest ingredients and no added sugars. When asked about their expansion, Mick said:
“We had no choice really; we’d outgrown our original 20-barrel capacity. We have a fantastic, loyal customer base that we’re very grateful for – we couldn’t let them down! We decided to add extra vessels so there’s enough Chantry ales to go round.”
This year, Chantry Brewery will be celebrating 10 years of brewing and what a way to mark it! The new custom-built vessels from Moeschle will enable the team to supply the nation with 38,010 extra pints of ale!
To get your share or see what the latest brews are, head over to their website or subscribe to their monthly newsletter via the links below.
Website – www.chantrybrewery.co.uk
Subscribe to the mailing list – http://eepurl.com/hGFEQT
Tuesday 8 March saw a number of Sheffield & District CAMRA members head to the Brothers Arms in Heeley, not only to have a go on their quiz but to present their Pub of the Month award.
Pictured is our chairman Glyn with Emma France, Brothers Arms General Manager and Chris Simpson, the assistant manager.
Photo by John Beardshaw
We really seem to be whizzing through 2022 don’t we?! We’re keeping up with the new releases though and have plenty coming out this month for you to enjoy.
The next in our Hopback series should be released by the time we reach April, and for the first time it will be available in keg as well as cask! This time it’s 4.9% and has been dry hopped with Vic Secret for a burst of juicy freshness and a gently earthy finish.
Doctor Morton is back with Proper Gander, an easy drinking 4.1% pale ale with Columbus and Summit hops. And on the dark side, we’ve got a new version of Salvation on the way, which this time is a sumptuously fruity Raspberry & Chocolate Stout (4.8%). Smooth, sweet, rich and creamy – we’re looking forward to this one!
Also from the Brewers’ Emporium is Hinterland (4.5%), a pillowy soft New England style pale ale with Vic Secret, Mosaic and Talus Cryo. Promising a full-bodied juicy character, with a big and bold tropical aroma and low bitterness. On the palate floral notes hold their own alongside flavours of coconut and pink grapefruit.
And finally, we’re soon to launch an all-new series of single hopped IPAs. Meet your new Obsession! The first of this series will showcase Simcoe, and will be 5.8%. Packed with leaf, T90 and Cryo Simcoe hops, expect zesty grapefruit, resinous pine and a hint of fresh berries, followed by a hearty, bitter finish.
