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?
Two of the Peak District breweries in our area held open days during August – Eyam Brewery on 15/16 August and Intrepid Brewery on 23 August. Both involved opening a bar in the brewery showcasing their range along with a food trader.
Bradfield Brewery have announced the 2025 brew of their popular fruit flavoured Christmas special, Belgian Blue, will launch on 3 November. If you couldn’t wait for that you may well have enjoyed their summer special, Blueberry Ale!
The Brewery of St Mars of the Desert(SMOD) are planning a special Stichfass pouring event again on a date still to be confirmed at the time of writing. Stichfass is a traditional German beer barrel similar to a British cask and the beer is packaged during fermentation. Dan and Martha at SMOD drove all the way to Franconia to pick theirs up!
Recent brews at Blue Bee Brewery include a 6% ABV Simcoe Krush IPA and also the latest iteration of their American 5 Hop pale ale (version 82!) alongside the routine brews of Reet Pale, Bessemer Blonde and Hillfoot Best Bitter.
As with previous years, Drone Valley Brewery will be taking their outside bar to the Bradway family fun day, organised by the local community action group. The event takes place on Bradway village green (on Bradway Road by the shops) on Saturday 6 September from 1:30 to 4:30pm. Bus 25 stops close by.
Duality Brew Co had a number of beers at the Old Shoe beer festival in Orchard Square on 16 August. These were “Partners In Crime”, a NE pale ale (5.1% ABV), “Double Imposter Syndrome”, a New England IPA (8.4% ABV) and “Berried Alive”, an 8% ABV raspberry sour.
The latest brew produced on the Burton Union set at Thornbridge Brewery was a collaboration with Oakham Ales. The beer is American Pale, a 5.2% ABV pale ale brewed with Maris Otter malt combined with a variety of US hops which delivers a beer bursting with citrus, tropical fruit and pine character. Oakham Ales are best known for their Citra pale ale and their JHB (Jeffrey Hudson Bitter).
Chin Chin in South Kirkby held its first open weekend on 25 and 26 July.
Dave Currie started the brewery with his brother 10 years ago, brewing on a kit purchased from the now closed Quantum Brewing in Stockport. Dave later took over the business himself, and switched to brewing full time in 2024. Chin Chin has a 5 barrel brew kit producing a range of cask beers which can often be found in Sheffield venues.
Dave and his partner Gemma opened for their first weekend with food and live music, offering 6 Chin Chin cask beers and 2 from guest Wakefield brewery Five Towns. These ranged from a 3.9% session pale to an 8.4% imperial stout. They also had 4 keg lines, 4 real cider, wine, and soft drinks – something for everyone and very impressive for a single weekend’s opening.
They plan to have another open weekend on September 26-28th, adding a Sunday due to popular demand! It’s fairly easy to get to from Sheffield, being a 10 minute walk from Moorthorpe railway station on the Sheffield-Leeds/York line.
Check their social media for updates and more events.
Another new month and we’ve got a cornucopia of beers this month spanning the whole spectrum! On the light side of things, we’re starting September with Japanese Cedar (3.9%) – a citrussy sensation of a pale ale, hopped with Mosaic and Amarillo for zesty notes of orange and grapefruit and a pithy bitter finish. New to our Mythical Creatures inspired series slithers in the Basilisk (4.3%), a refreshing pale ale that’s smooth on the palate, with no scales in sight! And from the Doctor Morton’s range we’re welcoming back Mandarin Claw of Death, a 4.1% pale with – as the name may suggest – notes of mandarin from the Cascade and Amarillo hop combination.
From the Brewers’ Emporium, Parkin Stout (5.2%) is a seasonally appropriate addition to our Salvation range. A full bodied oatmeal stout with flavours of rich molasses and a tickle of punchy ginger, gently spiced to evoke our favourite regional seasonal treat, Yorkshire Parkin. Warming and wonderful!
We’re really excited to be hosting local pals Triple Point Brewery for the return leg of our collaboration – together we’ll be creating Golden Peaks, a UK hopped IPA at 6.2%. We’ll be showcasing the new kids of the crop Harlequin and Olicana with their vibrant tropical flavours, which meld seamlessly with the classic orange and hedgerow character from Admiral and East Kent Goldings.
And finally, you must have known it was coming… towards the end of the month PILGRIM IS BACK! Tis the season for pumpkin spice and all things nice and we can’t wait for this classic to be back in our lives and on bars around Sheffield and beyond!
August is our birthday month! We turn 29 this year – it’s a privilege to have been here doing what we do for almost three whole decades and we’re so excited for what the future holds in our new chapter of being 100% employee owned. Thank you for joining us on this journey!
Anyway, enough of the emotional sentiments, here’s what we’ve got coming up this month. Live, Laugh, Loch Lomond (4.2%) is the return leg of our collaboration with Scott, previously part of our brewteam and now at, as the beer name suggests, Loch Lomond Brewery! A light biscuity base meets uniquely flavourful Krush hops to create a fruity little number with a luscious impact!
From the imaginarium of Doctor Morton we have the return of Proper Gander (4.1%), Get up really close and get a long, careful look at this Chinook and Pacific Gem hopped pale. Another returning beer to our line up is seasonal special Harvested, a 4.1% pale with Galaxy hops. Expect a fruity beer with refreshing tropical character alongside a clean, grapefruit bitterness and a subtle spiciness in the finish.
And on the Brewers Emporium side of things look out for Hazelnut Frappé Stout (5.2%) from our Salvation series, in collaboration with Castleton Coffee Co. Smooth and silky, with a bold coffee character balanced by sweet, nutty overtones and notes of chocolate and vanilla. And finally we have vibrant, juicy pale ale Trailblazer (4.4%) riding into town, with Amarillo, Simcoe and Galaxy hops.
