The end of October saw Blue Bee brew version 84 of their American Five Hop, this time involving Columbus, Loral, Azacca, Cryo Mosaic and Idaho 7. Early November saw a Centennial hopped pale ale at 5% ABV brewed in a North Amercian style with different yeast.
Eyam Brewery hosted a pop up tap event on 7 and 8 November in the Tideswell building that is soon to be converted into a permanent brewery tap room and shop. The event saw a range of beers available on cask, keg and in cans plus on the Friday evening Sunshine Pizza oven joined them there. This is set to be repeated each weekend until 13 December.
Fuggle Bunny Brew House is hosting another bonus tap event (they open every Friday all year round) on Saturday 29 November from 3pm to 9pm. As well as their beers the afternoon will feature live music from 5pm. Food will also be available with Steak & Fuggle Ale pie & peas from Baker’s Dozen.
Triple Point Brewing are hosting a beer and chocolate pairing night in conjunction with Bullion chocolate. The event is from 6pm to 8:30pm on 1 December and the £30 ticket includes 5 beers and 5 chocolates and experts from both hosts to talk you through the decadent tasting experience! Advance booking required.
New from Drone Valley Brewery is “Yippee Ki IPA”, a 5.5% ABV pale ale hopped with Chinook, Citra and Mosaic.
Chin Chin Brewery near Moorthorpe is hosting a tap event 5 to 7 December. Open 1pm to 9pm each day.
One of our local brewers, St Mars of the Desert – often referred to as SMOD – recently brewed their first cask beer in a collaboration at Thornbridge brewing. It was on hand pull at the marquee at Steel City 49 where it was the first cask beer to sell out, on the first day of the festival.
Martha & Dann spent a day brewing with Alice at Thornbridge in September, resulting in Quill – a 5.5% ESB. It’s their first fully casked beer, although they also own several German Stichfass which they use throughout the year. They brought two of these to Steel City, both containing ‘ungespundetes’ (a German practice of fermenting in an un-bunged barrel) versions of Fledermaus, their 5.4% vollbier lager. They offer single-stichfass batches at their taproom fairly regularly during the year and always advertise these on their social media.
At the end of October SMOD had a single cask of Quill, offering hand pulled cask ale at their taproom for the first time – and hopefully not the last! Several of our members enjoyed more than one glass of Quill to help encourage this sort of thing.
In early November SMOD also released Bébé Sauvage, a 9.5% bottle refermented foeder beer with plums and dates.
We can’t quite believe another year has passed! 2025 has FLOWN by as our first full year as an Employee Owned business, and we can’t wait to head into our 30th anniversary year – we’ve got some exciting plans in the pipeline, so watch this space!
Heading onto bars before the end of the year, we’ve got Winter, a crisp and flavourful 4.2% pale ale brewed with Ekuanot hops, and Holly, a new addition to our gorgeous botanical print inspired series. This one features Nelson Sauvin, Willamette and Cascade hops which come together to bring a cornucopia of citrus flavour and a well-balanced bitterness.
We’ve also got an exciting 6.5% IPA on the way – Further Greetings from Fort Mill, in collaboration with Amor Artis, who have visited us all the way from South Carolina! This one features Plumage Archer, a grain older than the USA, upon which we’ve layered oodles of punchy hop character from Simcoe, Centennial and Cashmere. Spicy and herbal, with notes of oily resin softened by hints of fruity melon.
Heralding the new year, as is our tradition, we’ll have Doctor Morton’s Duck Baffler back (4.1%), a pale ale single hopped with Citra which is always incredibly popular. January also brings another returning favourite, Alchemy, a 4.2% Amarillo hopped delight!
From the Brewers Emporium, Sticky Toffee Pudding Stout will be the latest addition to our Salvation series which is a surefire winner on a dark winter’s evening. Best enjoyed by a roaring fire. And just in time for Burns Night, we’ve got our first ever 80 Shilling Ale on the way in the Restoration series. Loosely inspired by a recipe dating from 1957, expect a satisfyingly smooth and well-balanced beer, malt-forward with a rich dried fruit character and a gentle bitterness in the finish. Bring on the haggis!
Among the early October brews at Blue Bee was an IPA featuring Centennial and Simcoe hops.
Meanwhile at our Steel City Beer & Cider Festival were some oak aged special editions including their export stout and dark mild.
New from Intreprid Brewing Co is Black Gold, their “Schwarzbier”, based on the classic European black lager recipe. It was on the bar in cask at our recent Steel City Beer & Cider Festival.
Eyam Brewery have launched merch in the form of t-shirts and hoodies which will be available to order from their webshop soon.
An updated brew of Loxley Brewery‘s Pride of the Valley hazy pale ale was featured on the bar at our recent Steel City Beer & Cider Festival.
Little Critters won our Champion Beer of Sheffield & District competition with “Chocodile”, a chocolate milk stout. This beer proved very popular on the bar at the Steel City Beer & Cider Festival with several extra casks delivered, all of which sold out!
Also featured at Steel City 49 was a cask ESB brewed as a collaboration between Thornbridge and St Mars of the Desert which proved to be the quickest cask beer to sell out at the festival!
Blue Mist is the latest addition to our beautiful range inspired by vintage botanical prints, and this time we’ve created a 4% pale ale with Chinook and Centennial hops. Sweet floral notes and juicy citrus are backed up with a tasty, assertive finish.
Doctor Morton’s Socks Appeal is our second beer release of the year in partnership with local charity Ben’s Centre. A 4.1% pale ale with soft notes of tangerine and lime, brewed using Vic Secret and Amarillo hops. For each cask sold we’re donating a pair of socks to Ben’s Centre – please do check out their wishlist if you’re able to support this incredibly worthy cause.
A festive release in our Mythical Creatures series, Glugg (4.2%) has artwork inspired by the Yule Lads of Iceland. Hopped with Belma and Cashmere, expect delicate melon flavours which come together deliciously with a spicy, earthy character.
And we’ve used one of our very favourite hops for Through the Hopback Nelson Sauvin. A deliciously sessionable pale ale (3.9%) with delicate Sauvignon Blanc-esque flavours of white grape and gooseberry coupled with a floral finish.
And talking of showcasing ingredients we love – from the Brewers Emporium we have a single hopped Simcoe IPA (5.8%) coming up from our Obsession series, celebrating the 25th anniversary of this glorious hop! A clean malt backbone allows the Simcoe to truly shine, bringing zesty grapefruit, resinous pine, a hint of fresh berries and an hearty, bitter finish.
Finally on the opposite side of the beery spectrum, look out for an Irish Cream Stout (5.4%) which is a seasonally appropriate addition to the Salvation series. Deliciously deluxe vanilla notes combine with soft caramel flavours and just a hint of roasted character for balance. Rich and oh so creamy with a full mouthfeel and a mellow finish.
Locally-based Little Mesters have relaunched. They first brewed in 2020 in the premises previously used by Mitchells Hop House (S8 7UJ) and have recently seen investment, expansion and relocation. In 2023, they opened their first bar, the Little Mesters Tap (Woodseats, S8 0SD). Then in late 2024, the brewery moved to Solpro Business Park in Attercliffe (S4 7WB), close to compatriots, St. Mars of the Desert. The relaunch event took place in late September: onion bhajis and samosas were enjoyed, all accompanied by a range of cask/keg beer from the adjacent brewery. In addition, there were several brewery tours.
The new brewery site is on the footprint of the 18th century, Royds Brewery. This large operation later became the Burton Weir Brewery of Thomas Marrian & Co. Ltd. (1850-1904). In Victorian times, Marrian’s were one of the biggest breweries in the area. Their No.2 beer store which held 10,000 barrels, claimed to be the largest cellar in Sheffield. In 1903, brothers F.A. and James Kelley acquired Marrian’s. The brewery was closed with their 66 pubs divided between Whitworth, Son & Nephew Ltd. (Wath Upon Dearne) and Whitmarsh, Watson & Co. Ltd. (South Street Moor, Sheffield). Marrian’s most well-known pub was probably the Bull & Mouth on Waingate (S3 8LB). This was acquired in March 1854 and later became part of the Tap & Spile chain.
By 1937, the Mesters brewery space was part of the Effingham Steelworks and Mills. Last November, the space was a derelict shell. Now, there is a mix of new and relocated brewery kit: including some from both Broadtown Brewery (Swindon) and Lost Industry (Wadsley Bridge, S6 1NA). The latter were in operation from 2015 until last summer.
The five, 1000 litre (6 Bbl.) fermenting vessels allow brewing to take place twice weekly with each brew comprising 40% cask, 40% keg and 20% cans. Two new conical fermenting vessels have just arrived: these will increase capacity.
Head Brewer is Sam Bennett, the driving force behind the highly rated Grizzly Grains Brewery: a one-person operation (2020-24) which produced award-winning beers initially from his house in Walkley then from March 2021, in a 4.5 Bbl. plant in an industrial unit near Bramall Lane. He is assisted by Tom Naylor.
The move and relaunch has brought a rebrand, involving design input from Nick Law (Emmanuales Brewery). The logo has been tweaked but continues to include the ‘Little Mester’ figure which advertises their ‘Mesterly Beers.’ A Little Mester was a self-employed worker who was involved in the cutlery trade: The Last Mester IPA (4.6%) and Stan’s Stout (4.8%) are tributes to the last Little Mester, Stan Shaw (1926-2021). The brewery originally chose their name, to honour those who helped to put Sheffield on the map. The reputation of skilled work and producing quality products, sums up how they feel about making beer.
In addition to the stout, the core beer range includes Mesters Royds Bitter (3.8%), and two hazy pales: Argent (4.2%) and Mesters Mate (4.5%). The red IPA, Mesters Rouge, (5%) is named after a fine polishing paste, Jewellers Rouge, which is used for buffing and shining up high quality knife blades. Made from iron oxide, the paste is dark red in colour. Other beer plans include a Kolsch, lager, a Christmas beer, and a Cherry IPA. As Co-owner, Neil Adgie explains: ‘The idea is to do some beers that aren’t necessarily experimental but to perhaps do things that haven’t been done for a while. We want to do some fruit beers. We’ve got five really big cherry trees on site and we’ve got permission to harvest all of the cherries, so at some point it’s likely we’ll do a Cherry IPA.’
Little Mesters beers are increasing seen across Sheffield and the local area. For example, two of their beers were recently showcased at the Barnsley CAMRA Beer Festival. One of their bigger customers is Sheffield Cathedral events. Neil explains: ‘We supply them with cans and kegs for all of the events they have in the cathedral, so they sell lots of beer.’ The brewery has also been involved with Sheffield Home of Football (SHoF), providing canned beers for their events. This charity promotes Sheffield as the home of modern-day football. Little Mesters are currently on the up: we wish them luck with their relaunch as the brewery continues to grow and develop.
Abbeydale Brewery, Sheffield’s longest established brewery, are celebrating this week, having been announced on the shortlist for three prestigious nationwide awards.
Firstly, they’ve scooped a spot in the top three in the Best Drinks Producer category in the famed BBC Food & Farming Awards. The three finalists in each category were chosen from thousands of nominations by a judging panel of experts, headed up by renowned chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Abbeydale are the only brewery to be recognised on the shortlist this year, alongside sparkling wine company Nyetimber and the Yorkshire Wolds Apple Juice Co in this highly competitive category.
In addition, they’ve been nominated for the title of Brewery of the Year in the 2025 Brewers Choice Awards, organised by industry magazine the Brewers Journal, where their much-loved beer Black Mass has also been shortlisted in the “Beer of the Year” category.
Founded in 1996, Abbeydale Brewery are well known for producing a huge range of beers (in particular their flagship pale ale, Moonshine), blending innovation with heritage and reflecting these values across their beers. These nominations all come as the brewery heads towards the first anniversary of becoming 100% employee owned, a pioneering change in ownership which has seen them gain a reputation as industry trailblazers, including winning the Employer of the Year title from the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA).
Co-Managing Director Dan Baxter says of the nominations “I’m so proud of the team and what we have achieved in making the shortlist for these fantastic awards. Since becoming an EOT last year, our core values of working within our community, championing our employees, doing business the right way and dong it all with a sense of humour – as well as, of course, making excellent beer! – have been made ever more visible for more people to see, and it’s wonderful to see that recognised.” His fellow Co-MD, Toby Grattidge, echoes these sentiments, adding “We’re incredibly proud of our first year of employee ownership and how hard everyone has worked. Publicans and drinkers alike have been so supportive, and it feels fantastic to see this reflected by being shortlisted on a national scale”.
Chin Chin Brewing Co are hosting another open weekend from 26 to 28 September, open 1pm to 9pm each day. It features a bar showcasing their own cask ales plus some keg beers from guest craft brewers along with cider, music and food. The brewery is on Langthwaite industrial estate in South Kirkby, a ten minute walk from Moorthorpe railway station (Sheffield to Leeds/York via Dearne trains).
Blue Bee are best known for their pale hoppy beers and their ginger beer has something of a following too, however they do brew dark beers now and again and one of their recent brews is Parkwood Porter, at a sensible 4% ABV. In contrast, an extra pale ale has also been brewed at a sessionable 3.7% using Columbus, Chinook and Citra hops.
Stancill Brewery have unveiled their Autumn range of seasonal beers including Bavaria (Golden Ale), Secret Potion, Casper (ghostly pale) and Treason (Parkin Porter).
Bradfield Brewery are building up to the usually much hyped annual cask launch of their Christmas beer, Belgian Blue, available from 3 November. However something that has been taking place much more quietly is their growing range of gluten free bottled beers, which now includes a choice of Farmers Blonde, Brown Cow, Belgian Blue, Pale Ale, Sixer, Stout and Yorkshire Farmer.
Eyam Brewery, based in Great Hucklow, are running a crowdfunding initiative to open a brewery tap bar and shop in Tideswell as they are unable to do so at their current production site.
True North Brewery is saying goodbye to brewer Dean, who is moving on to pastures new. A decision has been made not to employ a new brewer and instead to lease the brewery out to an independent operator, who will be given the opportunity to supply True North’s venues.
This month, as the evenings start to draw in, the light vs dark duo of Archangel and Dark Angel make a return – both 4.5% and hopped with the combination of Simcoe and Vic Secret, but there the similarity ends! In the pale version, expect a bright tropical character and a piney, fresh finish. In the stout, the hops meld with the rich malt backbone for tasty fruitcake flavours and a long-lasting bitter finish.
Also hitting bars this month, Doctor Morton’s Angler Management (4.1%) is fishing for compliments with its pleasant floral aroma and delicate lychee flavours. Very refreshing with a pleasingly crisp bitterness.
And our next collaboration is with the fantastic North Riding Brew Co, friends of ours for many years and joining us to create the latest in our acclaimed Travel Poster series. Ride North to Scarborough (4.2%). Columbus, Citra and Vic Secret hops combine in this classic, convivial pale with a vivid, citrussy character and a juicy finish.
From the Restoration series we’ll be releasing our first ever Ruby Mild (4.8%) – rich, smooth and full bodied, with unsung heroes of the UK hop world Fuggles giving a gently floral blackcurrant character to balance out the mellow and moreish malt bill. Subtle yet satisfying and the perfect choice as we head into autumn.
Hope to see lots of you at the Steel City Beer Festival!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Sheffield CAMRA’s branch magazine. Here, Richard Hough looks back to the time when he, and wife Kathryn, could call themselves Beer Matters editors.
We edited for a couple of years towards the end of last century – I know… During one barely believable 6-month period, we witnessed upheaval that changed the Sheffield brewing scene beyond recognition.
Stones
In January 1999, production of Stones’ Bitter came to an end in Sheffield with the closure of the Cannon Brewery.
William Stones established the Rutland Road site when he bought the lease of Neepsend Brewery in 1868. (That’s right, you read that correctly. The current Neepsend operation down the road, where I brewed for a while, is a resurrection of an old brewery name.)
Over the years, the brewery expanded, and Stones’ became the country’s biggest selling bitter, with one in every ten pints drunk in Britain being Stones’. At its peak, the Cannon Brewery was producing 50,000 hectolitres of cask-conditioned Stones’ each year. (1 hec = 176 pints = that’s a LOT of beer.) Such was the demand that the brewery was paying up to £1.5 million PER MONTH in duty by 1991. After that, the quality – and strength – of Stones’ Bitter deteriorated, as Bass chose to promote Worthington instead.
Following the closure of the Cannon Brewery in January 1999, Stones’ became known as the ‘beer on wheels’ after Highgate (Walsall), Thwaites (Blackburn), and Everard’s (Leicester), all had a go at brewing it.
As for the brewery site, it is now a derelict shell, and a bit of an eyesore, although the Urban Artists of Sheffield would strongly disagree! The more modern reception centre is currently occupied by an accounting firm.
(The site is about to be redeveloped for housing, with a little encouragement from the South Yorkshire Mayor! – ed)
Years later, production of Stones’ returned to Sheffield, albeit on a much smaller scale. True North took on the name, the old recipe and, happily, returned the ABV to its original 4.1%.
So to Ward’s…
Ward’s
In 1868, Septimus Henry Ward moved to Sheffield and joined an ailing brewery. Due to his financial clout, the primary brand was named Ward’s Best Bitter. In 1876, they bought the Soho Brewery on Ecclesall Road and renamed it the Sheaf Island Brewery (after the brewery on Effingham Street); later the business became S. H. Ward & Co and the Eccy Road site became the Sheaf Brewery.
There was wartime suffering when, in 1940, three incendiary bombs landed on the brewery, killing 4 workers. Ward’s recovered post-war, and continued to brew their distinctive bitter, all the while improving and expanding their pub estate.
[This is from David Lloyd Parry’s excellent STINGO: “Then in 1973 a successful bid for the company was made by Vaux of Sunderland. Ward’s continued healthily up to the time of writing (1995) with 229 tied houses.”]
YOUR BEER – YOUR BREWERY said the gold lettering shining proudly atop the tower.
Then greed took over. In April 1999, it was announced that Ward’s Brewery was to close. At the time, the company was making £4 million profit a year. But the new owners, Swallow Hotels, wanted more. It closed in July 1999, and 600 jobs went to the wall.
“It was revealed later that the price achieved was several million pounds less than the buyout that would have saved the brewery.” Swallow Hotels, hang your heads in shame.
The old entrance arch still remains, but the site of the Sheaf Brewery has been converted to apartments, with the ground floor now occupied by a Wetherspoons pub, The Sheaf Island. A large metal sculpture of a hop cone serves as a reminder of the days when the aroma of brewing filled the air on Eccy Road.
The closure of Ward’s left the tiny Kelham Island as Sheffield’s largest brewery. It had only been established in 1990! Astonishing that they could now call themselves the biggest in the Steel City. Not far down the line, they became the best too, when their flagship Pale Rider was voted Champion Beer of Britain in 2004.
This brewery is sadly no more with Kelham Island branded beers now being brewed at Thornbridge in Bakewell.
Some breweriana from the old Ward’s site can be seen at the Millowner’s Arms at the Kelham Island Museum, while Chris at the Harlequin is collating an interesting collection of Ward’s memorabilia.
Suffice to say, our short period editing Beer Matters back then saw change beyond belief. Interestingly, this upheaval paved the way for Sheffield to become the Beer Capital of Britain – something I will explore in future issues.
RICHARD HOUGH
STOP PRESS! Last month it was announced that True North is to discontinue production of Stones’ Bitter – see elsewhere in this issue for details. What next for this famous Sheffield brand, we wonder?
