Category: News

CAMRA’s 39th National Breweriana Auction; Saturday 25th October 2025

Have you ever fancied owning a slice of brewing history? Then this Auction is just the thing for you. Run by the Campaign for Real Ale, the National Breweriana Auction returns to Burton on Trent’s Town Hall on Saturday 25th October. It will have circa 150 interesting auction lots; everything from mirrors to trays; advertising signs, water jugs, flagons, bottles, books and pump clips as well as a few more unusual items. Plus there will be a number of stands selling brewery memorabilia adding to the atmosphere in this wonderful Victorian venue.

There are all sorts of items from all over the country to decorate your home. What about a Guinness clock or a delightful plate from Lincolnshire’s Batemans Brewery. The plate was issued to their employees after the brewery was saved from closure in 1987 when the sister and brother of George Bateman wanted to sell. One of the key components to saving the Brewery was their XXXB winning CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain, resulting in full order books.

As always, there are a number of advertising display cards including two from London’s Barclay Perkins (set up in 1616 and merged with Courage in 1955) and one from the less known Simpson’s of Baldock, Hertfordshire. The brewery was founded in the 1730s and renamed Simpsons in 1853 when it was bought by Joseph & Thomas George Simpson. To avoid death duties, the business was sold to Greene King with 130 pubs in 1954 for £525,000 and closed in 1965.

Another item from Barclay Perkins is a corked bottle of Imperial Russian Stout, probably 70 years old. Other items from past London brewing giants are two Toby jugs from Charringtons, who were famous for its Toby Jug logo. They were founded in 1770, merging with Bass, Mitchell & Butler, to form Bass Charringtons in 1967, which made them the largest brewery in the UK at that time. The London brewery was closed and brewing moved to the Midlands in 1975.

Two items, you can either use or more likely display, are trays from Wadworth of Devizes (founded in 1875 and still in family hands) and the less known Tennants. This is not the better known Scottish Tennents Brewery but a brewery established by two brothers in 1840 in Sheffield. They were acquired by Whitbread in 1961 with 700 tied houses becoming Whitbread East Pennines but closed in 1993.

These are just a few of the items on sale, each with a history to tell. You don’t have to be an expert to attend the National Breweriana Auction. The Auction is great fun to take part in (or even just to watch) and it’s an opportunity to get some great bargains plus many of the items on sale can appreciate in value. And, of course, like any CAMRA event, there is some good beer on sale all day (from a local brewery).

Burton on Trent is less than an hour by train from Shefield and the Town Hall is just a short walk from the railway station. The event starts at 10.30am with the opportunity to view the lots and browse the breweriana stands that will also be there. Bidding starts at noon and is normally finished by 3pm, giving a chance to have a final perusal of the stands before visiting some of Burton’s iconic pubs and heading home.

Entrance is by catalogue (£3.00), available on the day, or in advance by post: £6.15 (first class) from Bill Austin: 07831 688276 or baustin1951@btinternet.com. If you can’t get there, postal bids are accepted, just contact Bill. Similarly contact Bill if you have Breweriana items you would like to enter into the Auction. Wheelchair accessible. For more details see: www.gandc.camra.org.uk.

Christine Cryne

CAMRA chooses July to promote real cider but what exactly is that? – Vice Chairman (Cider) of CAMRA’s Real Ale, Cider and Perry Campaigns Committee, Ian Packham talks traditional cider and perry and CAMRA’s campaigning.

Real cider and perry are long established traditional drinks, which in certain parts of the country were supplied as part of the payment for farm labour up until 1887.

Traditional Cider and Perry are completely natural products, unlike most of the cold fizzy commercial products we are used to seeing, which are far from the real thing. Real cider and perry is produced naturally from apples (cider) and pears (perry) and is not normally carbonated or pasteurised. The harvesting of the fruit normally happens around October although this can vary dependent on the weather throughout the growing season.

The basics of traditional cider and perry production have remained the same for centuries – simply pick, wash, mill and press the fruit, place into a suitable container (in many cases oak barrels in the older days), allow to ferment and enjoy, although a number of producers do use separate yeast rather than that which naturally occurs on the skin of the fruit. Either way production uses virtually no energy at all, from picking of the fruit to the product being ready for sale, meaning that the production process is very environmentally friendly. Many of these natural ciders and perries tend to be dry as they have largely fully fermented using the natural sugar within the fruit. Some of them are sweetened by the addition of fresh apple juice, sugar, or other sweetener but perry tends to be naturally sweeter than cider.

The popularity of real cider and perry is rising as more people discover how deliciously mellow and aromatic the flavours of naturally produced cider and perry can be. A glass of real cider or perry represents generations of production dating back hundreds of years. There are also many new producers of cider and perry who are using the traditional process – albeit in some cases with more modern equipment – which still creates the traditional product.

Real cider was traditionally produced from cider apples which are different from eating or cooking apples. These typically have high levels of tannin which lead to a very bitter taste. There are many varieties of cider apple which have different characteristics and vary in levels of tannin and acid. They tended to grow in the Three Counties (Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire) as well as the West Country, especially Devon and Somerset. Cider is also made in many parts of the country with producers using eating or cooking apples instead, which leads to a different taste profile again. Similarly, perry pears are different to desert pears in that they are smaller in size and are high in tannin which tends to give an astringent taste rather than bitterness found in cider apples. They tend to dominate in the Three Counties which is where the majority of real perry is produced.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many of the well-known ciders and perries sold in the UK that are not produced using the natural process from apples and pears but have been produced artificially using concentrated juice, chaptalised juice or syrup, some involving many processes prior to being ready for sale, that makes them far less environmentally friendly than the traditional product.

Concentrated juice is where the fruit has been pressed and then much of the water content has been removed to reduce the volume for transportation. It is then rehydrated prior to starting the fermentation process. Chaptalised juice is where the fruit has been pressed and then large amounts of sugar are added to the juice. This is then fermented to a very high ABV where it can be stored prior to being diluted with water in order to achieve the desired alcohol content for sale.

The use of these methods, plus the changing methods of dispense for traditional cider and perry, often from polypins to bag in boxes, led to CAMRA reviewing its definition for real cider and perry.

The wording of the new definition states ‘CAMRA defines Real Cider or Perry as being fermented from the whole juice of fresh pressed apples or pears, without the use of concentrated or chaptalized juices’. The definition document also includes a number of pointers to best practice which identify the preferred options for cider and perry. These identify fruit or flavoured ciders as a separate category, as they are for HMRC purposes, ensuring that any added fruit or flavourings are pure and not from concentrates, extracts or essences. A full copy of this document can be found on the CAMRA website.

Following this, CAMRA contacted as many cider and perry producers as possible in order to confirm their production processes and generated a list of producers complying with the definition. This is available as a map showing cider and perry producers as well as producers of fruit and flavoured ciders and perries, or as a downloadable list. These are available via the CAMRA website or directly at producers.camra.org.uk and the map is a living document that is updated on a regular basis.

One of the areas that CAMRA has concentrated on in the last year is information for people who are interested in learning more about cider and perry. The Learn & Discover platform can be found at https://camra.org.uk/learn-discover/ and covers the Basics for beginners – available to everyone – as well as Learn More for enthusiasts and Discover for connoisseurs – which is available exclusively for CAMRA members. You can learn about what real cider and perry are, and where to find them, an introduction to tasting cider and perry, cider and perry styles, cider terminology, how cider and perry is made, food pairing, cider apple and perry pear varieties and much more.

If you are keen on learning more about the product, enjoy drinking and supporting real cider and perry, and discovering a wide range of tastes and flavours then go have a look at the CAMRA website. Cheers and Wassail!

WHERE TO FIND CIDER IN SHEFFIELD

Unfortunately whilst Sheffield is a really good place for beer, the options for decent cider is somewhat limited! Here are a few suggestions but the list isn’t comprehensive

The Old Shoe

New Barrack Tavern

Hop Hideout

Perch

Harlequin

PRODUCERS OF REAL CIDER ACROSS THE UK

• 146 Cider Company
• 99 Pines
• Ad Astra Cider
• Addington Garden Cider
• Afal Y Graig Welsh Artisan Cider & Perry
• Against the Grain Cider
• Aitchesons
• Ampleforth Abbey
• Apple Cottage Cider Limited
• Apple County Cider Co
• Apple Orphanage
• Appletreewick Cider
• Armagh Cider
• Artistraw Cider
• Ascension Cider Company
• Ashover Cider Co Ltd
• Austringer Cider
• Axminster Craft Cider
• Ayrshire Riviera Cider
• Bad Boy Cider
• Badgers Hill Farm & Cidery
• Barbourne Cider
• Barkers Real Cider & Perry
• Barley Wood Orchard
• Barnard’s Cyder ltd
• Barnfield Winery and Cider Mill
• Bartestree Cider
• Battle Organic Cider
• BEARDspoon Cider
• Beechwood
• Beetle Hill Cider – Hollymount Orchard
• Bennetts Farmhouse Cider
• Bere Cider Company
• Berties Cider Co
• Biddenden Vineyards
• Big Bear Cider Mill
• Bignose & Beardy Cider
• Black Pig Orchards
• Blackmore Vale Cider
• Blue Barrel Cider
• Bollhayes Cider
• Borderlands Cider
• Bottle Kicking Cider (The)
• Brakes
• Branch Cider
• Bray’s Cider
• Brecon Beacons Cider
• Brennan’s Cider
• Brew Shed Cider
• Brick Lock Orchard Ltd
• Bridge Farm Cider
• Brimblecombe’s Cider
• Bristol Cider Shop
• Broadway Press
• Brogdale Craft Cider
• Brooks & Conquest Cyder
• Brooksgrove Farm
• Broughton Bank Perry and Cider
• Bulkamore Orchard Cider
• BumbleBee Cider
• Burnard’s Cider
• Burrow Hill Cider Farm
• Bushel+Peck Cider & Perry
• Butford Organics Cider and Perry
• Cairn O’Mohr Fruit Wines and Ciders
• Caledonian Cider Co
• Cam Valley Orchards
• Cambridge Cider Company
• Camrose Cider
• Caneys Cider
• Canterbury Cider
• Castlings Heath Cottage Cider – Little Earth Project Brewery
• Cefynan Perry
• Celtic Marches (inc PULP Cider)
• Chalkdown Cider
• Chant Cider
• Chapel Sider
• Charnwood Cider
• Charrington’s
• Chiblers
• Chiltern Cider Company (The)
• Chucklehead Cider
• Churchill Cider
• Cidentro Cider House
• Cider By Rosie
• Cider is Wine
• Cider Syndicate (The)
• CiderinCider
• Ciderniks
• Cleeve Orchard
• Clive’s Fruit Farm
• Clyde Cider
• Colcombe House Cider
• Cork & Crown – Cider Merchant
• Cotswold Cider
• Countryman Cider
• Courtney’s
• Crackington Cider Co.
• Crafty Apple by the Real Al Co.
• Crafty Nectar
• Cranborne Chase Cider
• Cranes
• Crest Cider
• Crispin’s Cider
• Cromwell Cider
• Crones Cider
• Crossman’s Farmhouse Cider
• Crucider
• Cuckoo Valley Cider
• Cumbrian Cider
• Cwm Maddoc Cider and Perry – Hollow Ash Orchard
• Cydefx
• Daisy Farm Cider
• Dalton Moor Farm Cider
• Dark Side Cider
• Darley Abbey Cider
• Daws Hill Vineyard
• Days Cottage Cider and Perry
• Dee Ciders
• Dengie Cider – Wibblers Brewery
• Dick Willows Farm
• Diggers Fine Cider
• Dorset Nectar Cider
• Dorset Orchards
• Dorset Star Cider Orchard
• Dorset Sunshine Cider
• Double Vision Cider
• Dour Cider
• Dowdings Cider
• Downham Cider
• Dreymans cider
• Drove Orchards
• Drovers Hill Organic Still Cider
• Duckchicken Cider
• Dudda’s Tun Cider
• Dunham Press Cider
• Dunkertons Cider Company
• Durham Cider
• Duxford Scrumpy
• East Norfolk Cider
• East Stour Cider
• Easterton Cider
• Elevate Cider
• Eltham Gold Cider
• Elvet Cider
• Ermine’s Treat Cider
• EVEN Cider – English Wine Project
• Ex-Press Cider
• Exemption Cider House
• Fair Oak Cider
• Falkland Estate Cider
• Farmer Jims
• Fetch the Drinks
• Find and Foster
• Fine Cider Company
• Flemings Fife Cider
• Fletchers Cider
• Flitteriss Park Farm Cider
• Forbidden Fruits
• Four Acres Estate
• Four Elms Cider
• Fowey Valley Cidery & Distillery
• Foxhay English Cider
• Ganley & Naish
• Garden Cider Co
• Gethins Pembrokeshire Cyder
• Giggler Cider
• Glyn Farm Cider – Seidr Y Glyn
• Gospel Green Cyder Company
• Gould ciders and perries
• Grasmere Brewery Cider
• Grays Devon Cider
• Grazed Knee Cider
• GREEN FEN
• Green Man Cider
• Green Shed Cider
• Greggs Pit Cider & Perry
• Grotley Subcider
• Grover’s Cider
• Grumpy Johns Cider
• Gulval Goose Cider
• Gwatkin Cider
• Halfpenny Green Cidery
• Hallets Cider
• ham hill cider
• Hamilton Cider Company
• Hancocks Cider
• Hancocks Meadow Farm
• Hanging Wood Cider
• Hard Pressed Cider
• Hare Moon Cider
• Harefields Craft Cider
• Harrow Wood Farm – Dickies Dribble
• Harry’s Cider Company
• Hartlands Farmhouse Traditional Cider
• Haye Farm Cornish Cider
• Haywood Farm Cider
• Healy’s of Winwick
• Hecks Cider Farm
• Henhope Cider
• Henney’s Cider
• Hernhill Cider
• Heron Valley Cider
• High Peak Cider
• Hitchcox Cider
• Hogan’s Cider
• Holborn Hill Cider
• Honey Wood Orchard
• Honey’s Cider
• Horse Kick
• Hunt’s Cider
• Hunts Sussex Cider
• Hurst View Cider
• Hurstwood Cider
• Hush Heath Estate – Jakes Cider
• Hyrneside Aipple Cider
• Iford Cider
• Impens 8 Cider
• Indicknowle Cider & Farm Shop
• innocentPilgrim
• Isaac Cider
• IVOR Cider Ltd
• Jack’s Cider
• JARS Cider
• Jaspels Fine Cider Makers
• JB Cider
• Jolter Press
• Kent Cider Co
• Kentish Pip Cider
• Kernowek Bevvies – Davvers Cider
• Kicking Goat Cider
• Kilmegan Cider
• King Brain Cider
• Kniveton Cider
• La Mare Wine Estate – Branhcage Cider
• La Robeline Cider Company
• Langar Cider
• Lawrence’s Cider
• Laycock Cider
• Leeds Urban Harvest Cider
• Letchford’s Cyder
• Liberty Fields
• Little Cider Press Company
• Little Pomona
• Little Weeke
• Llanblethian Orchards
• Loader’s Cider
• Loader’s Cider
• Long Creedon
• Long Meadow Cider
• Long Mynd Cider
• Longtail Cider
• Lost Orchards Cider
• Loxley Cider
• Luke’s Cider
• Lulworth Skipper Cider
• Lyme Bay Winery and Cider
• Lyne Down Cider and Perry limited
• MacIvors Cider
• Mahorall Farm Cider
• Manx Cider Co
• Marshland Cider
• Marshwood Vale Cider Company
• Masham Cider Press
• Mates Cider
• Mayfayre Cider
• McCrindles Cider
• Meon Valley Cider
• Middle Farm Cider Barn
• Mill Farm Cider
• Mill Lane Cider Company
• Miners Cider
• Monkey Bridge Cider
• Monnow Valley Cider
• Moons Cider
• Mortestone Drinks Co – Shipwrecked Cider
• Mosser Cider
• Mousesweet
• Mr. Whitehead’s Cider Company Limited
• Nailsea
• Napton Cidery
• Naughton Cyder
• Nempnett Cider Company
• New Forest Cider
• New Lodge Vineyard
• Newt in Somerset (The)
• Newton Court Cider
• Nightingale Cider Company
• Noddy’s Cider
• Norfolk Raider Cider
• Northern Cider Association
• NOVAR Cider
• Nuthurst Orchard
• Oak Hill Orchard Farm
• Oakfield Farm
• Offley Cider – Bar-N Cidery & Workshop
• Old Jollop
• Old Meadow Cider
• Old Monty Cider
• Old Stag Cider
• Oldfields Cider
• Oliver’s Cider and Perry
• On Point
• Once Upon A Tree Ltd
• One Tree Hill Cider
• Orchard Project (The)
• Orchard Revival Cider
• Orchards Cider and Perry Co
• Orchards of Husthwaite – Galtres Ciders
• Orgasmic Cider Company (The)
• Out of the Orchard
• Oxford Farmhouse
• Palmers Upland Cyder
• Palmershayes
• Pang Valley Cider
• Pant du
• Parrett Cider Company (The)
• Parson’s Choice Cider
• Pearsons Cider
• Pembrokeshire Cider Company
• Penallt
• Peopleton Press
• Perry’s Cider
• Pershore Press @ Pershore College
• Pilton Cider
• Pippins Farm Orchards
• Pips Cider
• Polgoon Vineyard and Orchard
• Pollen Cider
• Pontymeddyg Seidr
• Potton Press Cider
• Priors Tipple Cider
• PULPT Cider
• Purbeck Cider
• Ragged Stone Cider & Perry (& Naked Orchards)
• Ralphs Cider
• Ravenscroft Cider
• Rawlins Family Cider
• Red Bank Cider
• Reddaway’s Cider
• Redvers Cider and Perry
• Rennies Winslow
• Rich’s Farmhouse Cider
• Ridge and Furrow Cider
• Ridgeway Cider
• Rigg and Furrow Brewery
• Ripe Cider
• Robinsons Cider
• Rock Hill Cider
• Rocquette Cider Farm
• Rosie’s Triple D Cider
• Ross on Wye Cider & Perry Company
• Rull Orchard
• Rutts Lane Cider
• Ruxton Cider
• Sail We Must Cider
• Salutation Inn (The) Sally Cider
• Sam’s Cider Produced By Winkleigh Cider
• Sampford Courtenay Cider
• Sandford Orchards
• Sandringham Cider
• Saxby’s Cider Shop
• Schralfs cider
• Seacider
• Seb’s Cider
• Secret Orchard Cider
• seidear The Wee Scottish Cider Company
• Seidr Ci Ddu
• Seidr Dwynwen Cider
• Seidr o Sir
• Seidr y Mynydd
• Seven Trees Cider
• Severn Cider Ltd
• Shed Cider
• Shed Head Cider
• Sheppy’s Cider Farm
• Sicklesmere Cider
• SiDa
• Silly Buckers Cider
• Silly Moo Cider – Trenchmore Farm
• Simon’s Cider
• Simply Cider
• Sisson & Smith Cider
• Skidbrooke Cyder
• Skittery Apple Juice and Cider
• Skreach Cider
• Skyborry Cider
• Smith and Evans Wine – Half Moon Cider
• Smith Hayne Orchards
• Snails Bank Cider
• Sneinton Cider
• South Hams Drinks
• Southdown Cider
• Spinney Abbey
• Spitting Feathers Cider
• Sprywood Cross Cider
• Square & Compass (The)
• St Ives Cider
• Steilhead Cider
• Stoke Farm Orchards
• Stone Broke Cider – Hewletts Mill
• Stones Cider
• Sunnyhill Vine yard
• Talbot Harris Cider Co
• Tamworth Cider
• Tardebigge Cider
• Taunton Cider
• Temperance Street Cider
• Temple Cider
• Tempted Cider
• The Cider Chiefs
• The Houghton Project
• The Real Al Cider Company
• Thirsty Farmer
• Thornborough Cider
• Three Cats Cider
• Three Counties Cider and Perry Association
• Three Saints Perry and Cider
• Tillingham / Starvecrow Cyder
• Tinston Wines and Ciders
• Toloja Orchards
• Tor Cider Company
• Torkard Cider
• Torn Plant Ciders and Blends
• Torre Cider Co
• Touchwood Cider
• Traction Cider
• Tre-rhew Cider and Perry
• Tree Top Press
• Trenchmore Farm – Silly Moo Cider
• Trevibban Mill Vineyard and Orchards
• Trevor’s Farmhouse Cider
• Tricky Cider
• Troggi Seidr
• Tucketts Farm Cider
• Turners Cider
• Tutts Clump Cider
• Twisted Cider
• Two Magpies Cider and Perry
• Two Orchard Cider
• Two Shires Cidery
• Ty Gwyn Cider Ltd
• Udders Orchard Cider
• Vale Cider
• Ventons Devon Cyder
• Village Green Cider – Norfolk
• Village Green Cider – Sussex
• Wadys Cider
• Wallen Down Farm – Cosdon Cider
• Wasted Apple Co
• Watchet Cider Company
• Watergull Orchards
• Wattles Cider
• Welland Valley vineyard
• Welsh Mountain Cider
• Welsh Perry & Cider Society
• West Croft Cider Farm
• West Milton Cider Co
• Westward Farm Dry Cyder
• Wharie Experience
• Whinhill Norfolk Cider Ltd
• White Lodge Farm Cider
• Wilces Cider
• Wilcox Cider
• Wild Cider
• Wild West Cider
• Wilding Cider
• Wilkins Cider
• Williams Brothers Cider
• Wise Owl Cider
• Wobblegate Orchards – The Cider Tap & Orchard – Rebel Root Cider
• Wolds Wine Estate
• Woodman’s Cider
• Woodredding Cider
• Woodsys Cider
• Woodthorpe Hall
• Woody’s Cider
• Worley’s Cider
• Yarcle Cyder
• Yarde Cider
• Zig Zag Zider – Melbury Vale Winery

On 6 June we enjoyed the launch of the University of Sheffield, Place, Craft and Alcohol Exhibition and the Five and Half Moments When Alcohol Changed the World podcast at Locksley Distilling, Portland Works. 

This project explores the history of alcohol in Sheffield and its post-industry present and future. The research has involved oral histories and the development of a map which maps the alcohol topography from the 19th century onwards. For more information: https://tinyurl.com/3pp5ze53

On Saturday 31 May we are asking all our members that are visiting pubs in Sheffield that day to record the choice of cask ales available and where possible the price of a pint. This data is an incredibly useful snapshot of the state of the real ale scene in the city – as well as continuing to prove that Sheffield is the beer capital of Britain (in terms of how many different beers are available to choose from) we can track year on year variations in beer choice, prices and commonly available brands. You can enter your data using our dedicated website – https://track.beer/survey/.

We have organised a number of survey pub crawls on the day to make more of a social occasion of it, meet the leader in the first pub:

In most cases buying an all day travel pass such as the Citywide ticket may prove worthwhile – see sytravelmaster.com or the Travelmaster app for details.

Firstly many thanks to our members who attended our AGM at the Lescar pub on 10 May. We enjoyed a good meeting and social helped by a CAMRA discount on their cask ales.

We heard our chairperson’s annual report, passed a couple of motions aimed at improving our ability to change internal process and our Pub of the Month awards policy and received our branch accounts (which are in a good state). The existing committee were all re-elected with Paul Manning as chair, Phil Ellett secretary and Paul Crofts as treasurer along with all our other members. We welcomed Dan Rowe onto the committee as our new Pub of the Month coordinator. My thanks go to all our committee who work hard all year to support the branch.

We had good input from Kevin Kearney, our Yorkshire regional director who also handed over two awards to Dave Pickersgill our heritage secretary who was a runner up in the national CAMRA campaigner of the year competition and to Andy Cullen & Robin Lunnon as our website editor and designer which won a bronze award in the national CAMRA website of the year competition. Both were very well deserved. 

Finally thank you again to all our members for your support this year and please continue to join us at our branch socials and events, contribute to and enjoy our excellent BEER MATTERS magazine and most importantly support our fantastic local pubs and breweries.

Paul Manning

Chair, CAMRA Sheffield & District

It seems a growing number of people are getting diagnosed with health conditions that require them to cut gluten from their diet, although that may just be that myself and other people I know are getting older and more decrepit of course! Either way it had always been game over for the beer lover as most beer is brewed with malted barley which provides the sugar to turn to alcohol as well as influencing the colour and flavour of many beers.

That’s not to say there wasn’t any gluten free options available – a handful of some more traditional ale breweries had experimented with alternative ingredients but it is safe to say they weren’t the same!

The good news is that now an increasing choice of beers are available thanks to the availability of a proline specific oligopeptidase enzyme that brewers can add to the beer to reduce the gluten content to below the 20ppm threshold required to label a product as gluten free and is tolerable to those sensitive to Gluten.

Locally all the beers produced by Abbeydale Brewery and Triple Point brewery are treated this way and can be considered Gluten Free so the many pubs in our area with Moonshine on cask now cater for drinkers with a Gluten free requirement! Chantry brewery’s Full Moon pale ale is gluten free, some of Bradfield’s bottled beers are too whilst Thornbridge’s gluten free options are AM:PM session IPA, Lukas lager and Bayern Pilsner.

A growing number of breweries across the UK are now joining the list that offer Gluten Free options and looking back at our Steel City Beer & Cider festival held at Kelham Island museum last October we offered a range of 19 cask ales and 13 keg beers that were Gluten Free and this is choice many beer festivals now seek to offer.

Some pubs also make the effort to keep their Coeliac regulars interested too, for example at the Kelham Island Tavern one of the regularly changing guest ale lines is dedicated to Gluten Free beer whilst the Dog & Partridge has a handpump that usually has the current Abbeydale seasonal special on it which of course is gluten free. It also of course goes without saying that Abbeydale’s own pub, the Rising Sun in Nether Green along with the bar at Triple Point Brewing are a good destination for drinking gluten free beer!

There are some pubs that don’t have a dedicated gluten free line but do regularly stock something suitable, examples here include the Head of Steam in Sheffield City Centre and the Beekeeper in Hillsborough. It is also worth noting that some local music venues such as the Leadmill have beer from Triple Point or Abbeydale either on keg or in can.

So if you have Gluten free dietary requirements and enjoy good beer, do seek out the beers and support the brewers and pubs that are making the effort!

CAMRA warns of more shuttered pubs as double whammy of tax changes come into force

The consumer group fears that more pubs will close their doors because of the extra costs of National Insurance rises and an increase in business rates bills in England coming into force this week.

CAMRA is warning that rates of pub business closures and conversions could be on the up this year as licensees face extra costs from the increase in Employer National Insurance contributions which begin on Thursday 6 April.

Pubs in England will also see an increase in the cost of their business rates bills this week, as business rates relief provided by the Government is reduced from 75% to 40% as of 1 April. Some pubs in Scotland and Wales will also receive 40% relief on business rates bills. CAMRA is calling on governments in all nations of the UK to introduce new, fairer business rates systems that are fairer to pubs.

CAMRA’s pub data shows that in 2024, 1,062 pub businesses across Great Britain were no longer operating, with buildings standing empty. A further 210 pub buildings have been converted into other uses like shops or housing.

In the first three months of 2025, 303 pub businesses across England, Scotland and Wales closed – whilst a further 46 pubs have been converted into other uses.

CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said:

“Hundreds of pubs have already stopped trading this year. How many more need to shut before the Government takes notice? With big increases in costs from higher National Insurance contributions starting this week, and hikes in business rates bills for pubs in England too, it’s important for customers to remember that price hikes at the bar are the fault of the Government, not hard-working publicans.

“Pubgoers are calling on the Chancellor to look closely at the rate of pub closures between now and the Budget in the Autumn, to think again on the Employer National Insurance hike for pubs and to cut rates of VAT and duty charged on beer and cider served in pubs.

“Without action from governments in all four nations, we risk losing more pubs which are a vital part of our social fabric and are at the heart of community life up and down the UK.”

Most years we make an effort to pick a day we encourage as many CAMRA members as possible to go out to pubs across the city and record what cask ales are on the bar and where possible the prices being charged for them too.

There is a fun element of this data in that we can announce how many different beers are available on one day in Sheffield and declare Sheffield the real ale capital of Britain for it, however on a more serious note it is an opportunity to take the pulse of the beer scene and compare with previous years to see variation in choice, prices etc as well as looking at which brands are most commonly encountered – it is good to see local independent brewers like Abbeydale and Bradfield with a strong brand and widespread availability rather than just big national brands from the likes of Coors, Heineken and Greene King!

Data from previous years surveys fed into a wider piece of work about Sheffield being the real ale capital led by the University of Sheffield with a report written by respected beer writer Pete Brown – you can download a copy from https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/city-region/enhancing-cultural-vibrancy/snapshot-beer-industry-sheffield-city-region.

This year the survey day is Saturday 31 May.

We’ll be running a number of survey crawls on the day you can join us on to make it a social thing – you could join us at your local or alternatively use it as an excuse to visit pubs in a part of the city you wouldn’t normally get to! Alternatively you can use our survey app (online at track.beer/survey) to log details of beers from whichever Sheffield pub you happen to be visiting on the day!

ORGANISED SURVEY CRAWLS (more may be added – please check our website!)

Woodseats & Heeley – led by Malcolm DIxon: Meet at Guzzle Micropub at 12:30 (get there on buses 24, 25, 42, 43, 44, 75, 76, M76 or X17)

Bradway, Totley, Millhouses and Nether Edge – led by Andy Cullen: Meet at the Castle Inn at 12:25 (get there on bus M17)

Beighton, Woodhouse Mill and Handsworth – led by Paul Manning: Meet at the Scarsdale Hundred (Wetherspoons) at 11:00 (get there on bus 7 or 26, alternatively the Blue route tram).

Walkley, Crookes and Commonside – led by Paul Crofts: Meet at the Walkley Cottage Inn at 12:00 (get there on bus 52 or 95).

Fulwood and Broomhill – led by John Beardshaw and Phil Ellett: Meet at the Rising Sun at 12:00 (get there on bus 83 or 120).

Hillsborough, Bradfield, Stannington and Malin Bridge – led by Dave Pickersgill: Meet at the Rawson Spring (Wetherspoons) at 11:30 or on the 61 bus to High Bradfield at 11:55.

Hillsborough area – led by Kevin Thompson: Meet at the Park at 12:00. (Get there by Yellow route tram to the Leppings Lane stop; alternatively by bus 18, 31 or 57)

Kelham Island & Neepsend – led by Dan Rowe: Meet at the Gardeners Rest at 12:00. (Get there on bus 7 or 8).

City Centre: Meet at the Red Deer at 19:00.

BUS TICKETS – A Citybus all day pass offers unlimited travel on any bus in Sheffield for £5.90 or a Citywide also includes the trams for £6.70. Buy from the bus driver or on the Travelmaster app.

Some changes in the Peak District part of our branch area already with Hulleys of Baslow going out of business, however the good news is all the routes continue to run with the service provided by new operators. The 271/272 Sheffield to Castleton has High Peak buses whilst the 173 Bakewell to Castleton along with the Monday to Saturday service on the 257 Sheffield to Bakewell via Bamford is in the hands of Andrews of Tideswell. The Summer Sunday service on route 257 is being provided by South Pennine Community Transport. Unrelated to the Hulleys situation, Bus 218 from Sheffield to Bakewell via Totley, which is operated by TM Travel, has now moved to the summer schedule with an improved Sunday frequency. Timetables at derbysbus.info.

Service changes in South Yorkshire and Chesterfield take place from 27 April. The 95a and 95b Walkley to Crystal Peaks are cut back to just run Walkley to Sheffield Interchange and the 75a Jordanthorpe to Fox Hill is cut back to Shiregreen. New service X11 is introduced providing a fast link between Sheffield, Waverley, Kimberworth and Maltby with many journeys extended to Doncaster. A number of other routes have timetable changes. Details are available at travelsouthyorkshire.com.

24 May sees the return of Stagecoach’s Peak Sightseer open top tour buses running from Chatsworth House to Bakewell (Red Route) and Castleton (Blue route). A couple of feeder trips are also available from Meadowhead, Woodseats, Millhouses and Totley. A ticket costs £12 for adults and £7 for concessions with a group deal available for up to 5 people travelling together for £30. Details at stagecoachbus.com.

Stagecoach’s Chesterfield depot has almost completed the introduction of brand new electric buses with a fleet of 18 single deckers and 39 double deckers. As well as being quieter and having better acceleration than the diesel buses they replace they also feature USB phone charging sockets, next stop announcements and air conditioning.In Sheffield look out for these buses on routes 42/43/44, 50/50a (Sheffield to Chesterfield) and X17 (Barnsley to Wirksworth) along with the Sunday service on route 65 (Meadowhall to Buxton).

Sheffield: ‘City Brand Development Work’

Sheffield City Council hopes that a rebranding exercise will improve the perception of the city and hence, subsequently boost both economic growth and tourism. The SCC Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee recently heard that the “Sheffield Inspires” brand would ensure the city was recognised as “one of the UK’s top five most attractive cities for trade, tourism and talent“.

The “City Brand Development Work” report aims to highlight the impact Sheffield has had on the world, from the city’s importance in the birth of both electronic music and football, to its place as a craft beer developer and world-renowned climbing centre. The report highlights that a stronger city brand can bring significant benefits, supporting investment, visitor numbers, and business growth.

Sheffield and District CAMRA is pleased to note the emphasis on craft beer: ‘How Sheffield is a city that puts the UK craft brewing scene on the map.’ We have been promoting ‘Beer Tourism’ for many years: Steel City Beer Festival (SCBF), walks and publications. Both Sheffield Beer Week and SCBF have a significant positive tourism impact on the city. This activity supports both our local independent breweries and pubs but also helps brings more money into the city than the annual two-week World Snooker Championship.

Allied with Sheffield Home of Football (SHoF), the city has two unique selling-points which together bring in thousands of visitors. There is an increasing link between SHoF and Indie Beer: for example, Little Mesters brew the SHoF branded beers. There are also many connections between the early years of Sheffield Rules football and local pubs. For example, one of the SHoF series of football-related blue plaques was recently unveiled at the York Hotel: ‘the world’s first football club to originate from a hotel was formed here in 1861.’ The first pub-based team in the world is also local.

The report emphasises that Sheffield’s brand perception directly impacts its economic prospects. A unified and well-promoted city brand can unlock significant benefits: we anticipate that our local breweries and pubs will take their full part in promoting these benefits.

In ‘Sheffield: The Beer City 2024,’ Pete Brown referred to Sheffield City Council: ‘something more long term and sustainable would solidify the recognition of beer, brewing, pubs and so forth as inherently important cultural and economic drivers.’

It’s positive to see this tangible support continuing to develop.