Sponsor a barrel! Fancy a works do at this year’s festival, why not promote your business at the same time? Group of friends who fancy doing something different on a night out? Something to celebrate? You can sponsor a barrel for just £100 and your name will appear on the beer label behind the bar, plus your name will be included in the programme and on the website, sheffield.camra.org.uk/festival.  We will provide you with 6 complimentary tickets to the festival and a free pint to get you started. We can also discuss any corporate hospitality requirements you may have. For more information please contact festival@sheffieldcamra.org.uk.

WORKING AT A BEER FESTIVAL – by Steve Cook

 Ever wondered what it is like helping out at a Beer Festival? I did for a number of years. It was one of the reasons I joined Camra back in 2000. I had worked in pubs and bars for 17 years, during which time I looked after a number of pubs whilst the manger went on leave. It was hard work but I got a buzz out of it.

I volunteered my services for the 2000 Beer Festival at the Students Union in Pond Street, (is it still there?). How different it was to what I was used to. There were no keg beers, lagers and spirits. There was no asking the customer if they wanted ice and lemon in their G & T, no asking if they wanted crisps or nuts they didn’t want but the pubco wanted them to buy. For various reasons it wasn’t until 2012 I worked the festival again, doing a few sessions on the bar and helping with the breakdown. 2013 I decided to go the full hog and work the whole week, setting up, working the bar and breaking down. And what a week it was. I put more hours in that week than I did in a normal week at my everyday job, (all for the love of real ale and Camra). Being a novice at the set up, I saw how much was involved to get the venue ready. I have to smile at the fact we were in a sports hall. There were many experienced and knowledgeable heads orchestrating without being demanding. Racking went up, the bars went up, and the beers went on the racking. After 2½ days of set up the festival opened. I couldn’t believe how many people turned up for the midday opening. In the blink of an eye I went from being festival constructor to barman. As the afternoon passed, the adrenaline kicked in and the barman in me came out. I was in my element, giving quality service and having banter with those who came in. The bar staff were a mixture of old heads and those new to bar work. The newbies soon learnt the ropes with help at hand from the experienced. Two of the newbies enjoyed their time so much they wanted jobs in pubs. There is one regret I have; it is not having worked the festivals more than I have. The buzz, enjoyment and what I get out of working what I have is on the highest of bars, sorry pedestals. I must have ticked a few boxes last year as this time I have been asked to be Deputy Bar Manager. There are still a good number of weeks before the festival and I already have the buzz. Set up for this year’s festival starts on October 27 with breakdown on November 2 with the  festival open October 29 – November 1, so if you fancy helping out, whether it be a session or two, (can you stretch it to three?) on the bar and /or helping with the set up and break down email ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­festivalstaffing@sheffieldcamra.org.uk. Nearly forgot, there is good beer (and cider) to be enjoyed. Fancy brewing beer?   To celebrate 40^th Steel City Beer and Cider we are having two beers brewed in advance that will go on sale in local pubs in September and October to promote the festival. Blue Bee Brewery and Sheffield Brewery Company have both kindly agreed to brew a beer especially for the occasion. CAMRA members will be gathering on the morning of Saturday 5^th September at Blue Bee brewery to help head brewer Josh brew the beer which as yet is unnamed but will be a 5% beer. If you want to experience the hard work that goes into brewing beer and lend a hand contact us at festivalstaffing@sheffieldcamra.org.uk for more details.

Ruby Anniversaries

This year 2014 marks the 40^th year that Sheffield will host a beer festival organised by Campaign for Real Ale volunteers making it one of the oldest festivals in the country. The first was held at the University of Sheffield and since then has travelled around many venues over the years having visited Hallam University, Netherthorpe, Cemetery Park, Ponds Forge and one memorably unsuccessful year at Darnall. This years 40^th anniversary festival sees a move to another new venue, one that hopefully will provide a character appropriate to the occasion to celebrate Sheffield as the “Beer Capital” of the UK. Kelham Island Museum stands on a man-made island that is over 900 years old, providing a historic setting for the festival. The museum tells the story of the growth of the Steel City through the Victorian Era and two world wars to see how steelmaking forged both the city of today and the world! This year’s festival artwork commemorates the Bessemer converter exhibited at the museum which was last used at Workington, Cumbria to make rails used around the world that was last blown 40 years ago this year. The festival will be spread around the museum including the upper gallery, a marquee outside and the Millowners pub all with different entertainment and things to do offering something for everyone. Kelham Island lies at the heart of the Valley of Beer surrounded by many freehouses selling real ales from both local breweries and from further afield. The museum is within easy walking distance of Shalesmoor tramstop, many bus routes and is only a 15 minute walk from the city centre.

Could you sponsor the beer festival?

Sponsorship is a great way to become involved in the festival. It doesn’t cost the earth but it does allow you to show your support, allows you to advertise yourself and contributes to the running of a successful event. If you are interested in becoming involved in the 40^th Steel City Beer and Cider festival there are a number of sponsorship packages available starting from just £100.  We are looking for individuals, pubs, businesses, societies and breweries to sponsor a range of items and activities, both at the festival and in the lead up to it. Sponsorship can take several forms:-

• making a financial contribution towards the general running of the event
• sponsorship of advanced publicity material (e.g. beermats)
• the offer of goods and services such as staff radios, transport and consumable items for use at the festival
• supporting a particular activity  such as entertainment, pub games, charity quiz or programme
• sponsorship of wrist bands, trade/sponsor tickets or beer/cider tokens
• Sponsorship of a particular stall such as the bottled beer bar or tombola.

New for this year’s festival is the ability to sponsor a firkin (9 gallons, 72 pints) of beer for £100. For this you will get you or your companies name shown over a barrel of beer at the festival. All sponsorship packages offer free admission to the festival, some free beer and a go on the pub games together with your name or business displayed inside the festival. In addition all sponsors get their names and details included in the beer festival programme and on the Beer Festival website. Celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other significant occasion, why not club together, sponsor a beer to celebrate and make a party of it at the beer festival. If you would like to support the Beer and Cider festival through sponsorship or have any questions please contact festival@sheffieldcamra.org.uk

Staffing

This will be my 3rd year managing staffing for the beer festival and the 4^th that I have worked in Sheffield, so I was well and truly thrown in at the deep end! My main job is pensions and as such the only thing I know about beer is that I love to drink it!  So I take a week off work every year where I work 30 hrs and volunteer for over 80hrs at the festival!  There are times over the week when I think why am I doing this? and the answer is always the same because it is such great fun.  I get a great sense of achievement being involved in pulling together the festival for Sheffield and it’s  for a great cause, the promotion of real ale and cider. We start the planning in January and slowly each month it comes together to produce the festival.  What this means for me is I sit there as they discuss pints per kiln and cooling and I get very confused.  Then they mention something that requires need staff and I wonder where I can find more people from. The answer is you!   I have many jobs that I need help with.  It’s not all serving beer.  I have busy jobs, sit down jobs, jobs where you don’t have to speak to anyone if needed! You may ask what is in it for me? Well the answer is if you work 4 hours you get free beer, a glass to put it in and you are already in the door so free entry!  I have people who volunteer for a few hours on the Wednesday and then come back shift after shift. If you would like to know more just get in touch. Louise Singleton

The basics

29^th October – 1^st November 2014 Over 100 real Ales and Ciders Entrance Wednesday 29^th October                                Free Thursday 30^th October                                    £1 (CAMRA Free) Friday 31^st October 12 to 5pm.                       £2.50 (CAMRA £1) Friday 31^st October 5pm to 11pm.                  £5.00 (CAMRA £2) Saturday 1^st November 12 to 5pm.                 £3.00 (CAMRA £1) Saturday 1^st November12 5pm to 11pm.        £4.00 (CAMRA £1) Kelham Island Museum Alma Street S3 8RY