Category: News

Each year students new to the BA Hons Illustration course at Sheffield Hallam University are given an introductory illustration brief which helps them to find out, and report back, on aspects of the cultural heritage of the city – this year the focus was to draw our fantastic Sheffield pubs.

The underpinning intention of the brief is for students to practice and celebrate their drawing ability while coupled with getting to know each other a bit better as they are invited to draw on location together. For students new to the city this helps them to orientate the city helping them to seek and find out a little more about what it has to offer more generally.

Students were asked to produce a large body of observational drawings of their favourite chosen pub then, through selection, apply one of their designs, including the pub name, to a drink’s coaster. The designs were then digitally printed on Campus at our Fitzalan Square, Head Post Office location by our brilliant technical team.

Some of our students even returned to the pubs and took photos of them in situ with several requests to purchase a set of the designs after they were posted on the course Instagram page.

Frazer Hudson, senior lecturer on the illustration course comments, “Our pubs are special meeting places not only to share the news of the day but where ideas are formed, bonds are made, and culture is created.”

To see more examples of our Illustration student work visit instagram.com/shuillustration.

Frazer Hudson

Members of Sheffield CAMRA gathered for their Christmas meal at the Ball, Crookes on Saturday 9 December.

Some members sampled the delights in Two Sheds first of all. I met them a little later in the Punchbowl, where there was a good selection of beers including a True North Dry Irish Stout of 5%, and a Black Iris Snake Eyes, a 3.8% APA.

We then decamped to the Ball, where they had seven to eight wickets. A popular choice was a dark ale named Rocking Rudolph, admittedly a Greene King beer, but tasty with a little spice. For my second, I plumped for a paler ale in Saltaire South Island, a NZ pale ale at a sessional 3.5%. Plus 10% discount with your CAMRA membership card.

The meal consisted of three courses, soup, prawn cocktail or chicken goujons. Followed almost unanimously by a turkey dinner. For those of a sweet tooth, there was a fruit cheesecake or Christmas pudding, while a few of us had the cheese and biscuits which included a tasty blue cheese.

Kevin Thompson

For details of future events for local CAMRA members see the diary page.

One of the features of our Steel City Beer & Cider festival is branded glasses to drink from and take home as a souvenir. This year we had pint glasses in partnership with Hendersons Relish and half pint glasses in partnership with Bradfield Brewery. If you didn’t make it to the festival and still want to get hold of a glass – either for yourself or maybe as a Christmas present for someone you know – then good news – we have some left and our friends at Beer Central are selling them for just £3 each. You can also bundle them up with beer, cider or mead to create a gift pack.

Beer Central is located in Sheffield City Centre in the Moor Market building.

We also still have a stock of the Sheffield Real Heritage Pub book which is available through various retailers, these being Beer Central, Draughtsman (Doncaster railway station), Famous Sheffield Shop, Fat Cat, Kelham Island Books + Music, Kelham Island Museum, Hop Hideout, Makers Store (Meadowhall), Millennium Gallery, Next Chapter Books, Old Shoe, Brewery of St Mars of the Desert and Rhyme & Reason.

CAMRA books also publishes a range of titles including the well known Good Beer Guide which can be ordered along with other merchandise online from the CAMRA shop.

A host of content produced by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has been shortlisted for the British Guild of Beer Writers Awards 2023. The content includes output from its educational Learn & Discover platform, articles written for the Campaign’s dynamic news website What’s Brewing and books published by the consumer organisation this year.

CAMRA regularly publishes ground-breaking books about pubs, beer, brewing, cider and perry.  Publications from CAMRA Books have been nominated and received multiple awards from the British Guild of Beer Writers, as well as Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards and the Gourmand Awards.

Collaborating with esteemed writers, influencers and film makers, the award-winning Learn & Discover site hosts an abundance of educational articles, videos and audio material.

Alex Metcalfe, CAMRA’s Learning & Discovery Manager, said: “I am ecstatic to learn that so much content from CAMRA has been shortlisted for the prestigious British Guild of Beer Writers awards. There is a wealth of quality material from both our publishing arm and on our Learn & Discover website. I cannot wait for the award ceremony later this month.

“Both our shortlisted authors, David Jesudason and Des de Moor, deserve all the plaudits they are receiving (and will continue to do so) with their latest stellar titles. Putting it simply, your bookshelf isn’t complete without their books!

“I am so happy to see collaborators from the Learn and Discover website rightly being shortlisted too. The new content on the online platform continues to entertain, educate and enthral.”

Commenting on this year’s finalists, Guild Director Jonathan Garrett said: “It’s said every year, but the quality of this year’s entries was exceptional, and in some categories we wanted to give gold to everyone on the shortlist. What was really pleasing to see, on top of the extraordinary storytelling and beautiful writing, was the breadth of topics covered both by individual authors and across the board. It made the judging extremely difficult, but all the more joyous.”

See below for CAMRA’s and its collaborators’ award nominations.

Best Book About Beer or Pubs

• Desi Pubs (published by CAMRA) – Written by award-winning journalist and beer writer David Jesudason, the ground-breaking book Desi Pubs is a fascinating guide to British-Indian pubs, food and culture, taking the reader on a journey to parts of Britain that are seldom visited. The book is a celebration of 21st-century Britain and the forgotten people who created our modern, multicultural country.
• CASK (published by CAMRA) – Discover the origins and history of cask ale with author Des de Moor and how the drink has developed and changed over time. CASK takes you behind the scenes to learn about the brewing process, from malting to conditioning. Gain a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship behind every pint.

Best Corporate Beer Communication 

CAMRA submitted the following pieces from its Learn & Discover platform:

• Ukrainian Golden Ale – Filmed by Kyiv writer, translator and educator Lana Svitankova, the first Certified Cicerone in Ukraine, this immersive documentary shines a light on the unusual beer style. Lana’s short film unveils the history of Ukrainian golden ale and its flavour profiles. The video is also available to watch on CAMRA’s YouTube channel here.
• Ukrainian Social Clubs – Award-winning author of 50 Years of CAMRA, Laura Hadland, puts a spotlight on the proud heritage and history of Ukrainian social clubs in the UK. Founded by displaced persons forced to flee Ukraine after WWII, they have been fortified and strengthened by new generations of migrants, refugees and British-born Ukrainians who work together to protect and share their culture, language and traditions.
• Grodziskie: Everything You Need to Know About ‘Polish Champagne’ – Beer writer Ruvani de Silva introduces readers to this little-known style of beer. Illustrated by Christine Jopling, the article details the Polish smoked wheat beer’s beginnings, long and interesting history, eventual decline and contemporary revival.
• Community Ownership of Working Men’s Clubs – Drinks writer Rachel Hendry explores the revolutionary way Social & Working Men’s Clubs are owned and managed, noting what differentiates a social club to a pub.

Best Communication about Pubs

CAMRA submitted the following pieces from its Learn & Discover platform:

• Meaning of Pubs – A heartfelt short film by Jessica Mason celebrating the importance of the humble local pub. Filmed and produced by Emma Inch, it is based on Jessica’s contribution to the first ever edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Yearbook.
• Community Ownership of Working Men’s Clubs – Rachel Hendry.

Best Video Beer Communication

CAMRA submitted the following pieces from its Learn & Discover platform:

• Meaning of Pubs – Jessica Mason and Emma Inch
• Ukrainian Golden Ale – Lana Svitankova
• Introduction to Belgian Beers – Curious about Belgian beer? Join author of CAMRA’s Beer Breaks – the essential pocket guide to European beer travel – Tim Webb as he explores eight classic Belgian beer styles. Filmed by Bill Bradshaw in association with Visit Flanders, the short film is also available to view on YouTube here.

Best Communication about Cider

CAMRA submitted the following pieces from its Learn & Discover platform:

• World of cider: Hardanger – The second instalment of CAMRA’s World of Cider video series, renown cider expert Gabe Cook, otherwise known as The Ciderologist, meets Norwegian cider producers in Hardanger. Attending the Hardanger Cider Festival, Gabe learns of the history of Norwegian cidermaking, the practicalities of producing cider in Norway and the country’s ever growing cider tourism scene. Filmed by Haritz Rodriguez, the documentary boasts of breath-taking shots of fjords and the stunning Norwegian landscape. The trailer for the film is free to view on CAMRA’s YouTube channel here.
• Intro to sparkling cider – The first in a cider series by Rachel Hendry exploring why some ciders are still while others are sparkling. Rachel details the science and processes involved in making different styles of cider, from the importance of fermentation to the multiple methods of carbonation.
• A day in the life of a harvester – Harvest is the busiest time of the year for anyone involved in apple growing and cider making, with long hours and lots of hard work. Rachel asks what actually is involved in the harvesting of apples?
• What makes a good harvest – Agricultural workers’ labour is tied so closely with that of their orchards, the run up to harvest can be an anxious time. Without apples to harvest there would be no cider to drink or sell and Rachel explores what really makes a good harvest.

Laura Hadland is also a regular columnist for CAMRA’s online news platform, What’s Brewing, and was shortlisted in both the Best Business Beer Communicator and Best Communication about Diversity in Beer awards.

Martin arrived in Sheffield in 1976, as an art student with no particular interest to secure work. He became a founding member of The Leadmill, producing their promotional posters from 1980-92 including Pulp, . In fact he went on to supply the artwork for most of the bands, venues and promoters in the city. This expanded to Europe and the USA, where his artwork was sought after by the legendary punk poetess, Patti Smith. The early Leadmill days established him as an “house artist,” producing the shouty style posters, reminiscent of the USA B-movie film promotional material. He even set-up a silk screen printer to aid his art. He was even proficient with a camera, producing shots of The Damned, The Adverts, Roy Harper and Nils Lofgren.  

His artwork has prompted quotes from legendary Sheffield musicians on his inspiration:

Richard Hawley who said ” When Martin did posters for The Leadmill, I would look for them on the walls of our city. I have loved this man and his work for many years.” 

Pete McKee, renowned Sheffield artist was quoted as saying ” It was Martins Leadmill posters that inspired me to be an artist. I was very fortunate to have him as a tutor on my art foundation course.” 

Martin then branched out to managing bands and promoting gigs, by founding the Honey Bee Blues Club in 2014, in venues like The Leadmill, Dorothy Pax, The Greystones and smaller pubs across the city. His legacy, Honey Bee Blues Club currently holds around 6-8 gigs a month around Sheffield. Bands such as Fargo Railroad Company, Ash Gray, 20ft Squid band and Banjo Jen owe a lot of their success to Martin and his tenacity in hosting gigs whatever the attendances.

His last event was to bring the young rock ‘n; roll band The Molotovs to The Clubhouse in October. I am sure the Honey Bees Blues Club collective will carry on his work and assist local bands in their quest for fame. 

Martin will be sadly missed by the art, music and licenced trade community which he served so well.  

Reference credit:  http://www.martinfbedford.com

Kevin Thompson and Paul Crofts

Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) condemns Government over lack of action to support publicans and boost consumer choice at the bar 

Laws governing the relationship between pub owning businesses and the tied tenants who run those pubs won’t be changed or improved, the Government announced yesterday. 

It comes as the Department for Business and Trade published its response to a statutory review of the Pubs Code for England and Wales – a set of rules governing the relationship between pub-owning businesses and their tied tenants. 

Consumer group CAMRA wanted to see changes to give tied pub tenants more choice over which beers they offer, including the right to a guest draught beer or cider from local and independent producers instead of having to buy a restricted range of stock at set prices from the pub-owning company.  

The Campaign for Real Ale also urged the Government to beef up the Pubs Code so that more publicans could benefit from protections and rights when it comes to the way they are treated by big pub-owning businesses. 

Without changes to make sure tied pub tenants are treated fairly and are able to turn a profit under their contracts, it is feared that more pubs will be forced to close and be lost to their communities. 

Instead of making improvements to the laws around pubs and tied tenants in response to changes to the industry in recent years, the Government decided not to act. 

“The lack of action to improve protections for pub tenants and to improve choice for consumers at the bar is deeply disappointing,” said Nick Boley, CAMRA Campaigns Director.

“Changing these laws to allow a better range of beers on offer from small, local and independent breweries would have increased choice for consumers. It’s not fair that large pub-owning businesses can restrict landlords to buying certain beers often at above-market value and prevent them from supporting small, local breweries by offering these beers on tap.  

“CAMRA is also worried that the existing Pubs Code isn’t meeting its key principles – that tied tenants should be no worse off than other publicans and that they can expect fair and lawful dealing from pub owning-businesses. Research carried out by CAMRA last year found that less than a quarter of tied tenants who responded said that they were treated fairly and lawfully, or that they were no worse off.   

“The Government needs to re-think this decision to do nothing and instead improve the Pubs Code so that we can see a thriving pub sector in England and Wales where the rights of pub tenants are protected, and consumers have a diversity of venues to choose from. Otherwise, the current corporate stranglehold will only tighten, and we risk seeing more pubs shutting their doors and being lost to our communities.”

It was recently announced that internationally recognised beer-writer, Pete Brown, is revisiting his 2016 report, ‘BEER,’ with an updated version to be launched during Sheffield Beer Week 2024 (4-10 March). The original report stated that ‘Sheffield is the real ale capital of the world – and can also stake a claim to being the birthplace of the UK craft beer revolution.’

At the time, I wrote: ‘I read the Report while en route for a few days in LambicLand (Belgium). It generated considerable discussion with both colleagues and also a number of local Brewers. At Itterbeek, we had a long beer-related conversation with the Flanders Region Minister of Culture. He expressed more interest in the Sheffield beer scene than seems to emanate from Sheffield Town Hall…… The Sheffield region needs to up its game regarding exports. The Sheffield Beer Report suggests that a local canning/bottling plant is an essential.’ (Beer Matters, 464, June 2016, 6-7).

Since then, the world has changed: Brexit, Covid, lockdowns, international uncertainty and continued inept UK government. However, almost eight years on, does Sheffield continue to justify the claim of the best real ale city in the world? My answer would be an undoubted ‘yes.’

The local beer range has grown dramatically over the last decade with several innovative new cask brewers coming on stream, for example: Grizzly Grains, Loxley and Triple Point. Innovative collaborations occur several times/week and several long-established brewers, including Abbeydale, Lost Industry and Steel City have taken-up barrel ageing with the Abbeydale, ‘Funk Dungeon’ project of particular note. Heist, despite their focus on Keykeg, recently won the gold award at the 47^th Sheffield Steel City Beer Festival for their cask hazy session IPA, ‘The Bad Part of Gnome Town’ (4.6% abv) while, last year, Triple Point were winners of the World’s Best Gluten-free Beer at the World Beer Awards, for their Trivergence DIPA (8.5%). In addition, Fuggle Bunny, Stancil, Tapped and Toolmakers are celebrating a decade of brewing while brewSocial have recently completed their first year in operation.

Sheffield is also attracting, well-respected brewers from elsewhere. For example, after seven successful years managing the ‘Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project,’ in Boston, Massachusetts (established 2008), Dann Paquette and Martha Holley spent two years travelling. In 2018, they relocated to Sheffield, and, in deepest Attercliffe, established St.Mars of the desert (SMOD). Their aim is to ‘brew adventurous beers for interesting people.’ In this, they have succeeded: their ‘Secret World,’ is hidden behind old industrial units in a currently unfashionable part of the city. Here an exciting range of beers are produced and may be sampled in their taproom. On RateBeer, in 2020, they were named as amongst the top ten new breweries in the world. A second example is Mike Pomranz. Mike moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Sheffield in 2016 continuing his interest in cidermaking. In September 2021, he opened The Cider Hole – an urban microcidery, bar, and bottle shop – where he made, and served, his own Exemption Ciderhouse cider. Having become the 2023 Sheffield and District CAMRA ‘Cider Pub of the Year,’ the Cider Hole closed in June, Exemption relocating to become part of the Old Shoe, a new bar located in the city centre.

My suggestion regarding export has happened. Stimulated by lockdown, there has also been an almost exponential increase in the range, and variety, of small-package products: beers from many Sheffield breweries are now widely available in both bottle and can. For example, Abbeydale, Bradfield, Little Critters, Neepsend and Triple Point can be found nationwide. It’s also worth noting that the beer of ‘Sheffield Home of Football’ is brewed at Meadowhead by Little Mesters. There has also been a growth in high quality bottle-shops, for example, long- established favourites, the Dram Shop and Small Beer have been joined by the likes of Beer Central and Hop Hideout, both of whom recently celebrated their 10^th anniversary.

As for pubs: Sheffield does not seem to have experienced the dramatic pub-loss suffered by many other parts of the UK. There have been closures but also many openings, especially of micropubs: we seem to have more micropubs than any other UK city of a comparable size. Local beers continue to be seen across the city with cask-only brewer, Blue Bee, a particular favourite. Beer tourism continues to provide massively more income to the city than the annual World Snooker Championship. This was recently illustrated when CAMRA held their annual Member’s Weekend, Conference and AGM at the University of Sheffield. Apart from one negative comment regarding the hills, almost 1000 attendees gave very positive feedback on local beers, pubs and importantly, their friendly welcome.

Sheffield also continues to be the only UK city with its own detailed Pub Heritage publication. Originally produced in 2018, this 120- page book is now in its 5^th edition and is available as both a paper copy and a free download.

In short, since 2016, the Sheffield beer scene has vastly improved: more innovation, more choice, more venues and more information – it remains the undoubted beer capital of the world.

Mark, who sadly passed away on 22 October aged 82, was the landlord of the Grouse Inn at Froggatt Edge near Longshaw, a pub he had been at for 58 years with his father being the previous landlord!

This rural pub is owned by the family and is quite traditional and unspoilt – it has a cosy lounge with open fire, conservatory area suitable for walkers with muddy boots and a dining room serving home cooked food. Regulars are treated like family or friends!

The dates have been announced for the 2024 edition of Sheffield Beer Week, which will be taking place from 4 to 10 March. This will be the 10th anniversary of this initiative that celebrates the Sheffield beer scene including the people in it with themes of beer, food, community and heritage.

The event started its life when SIBA’s annual conference and BeerX was held in Sheffield in order to show off what we have in Sheffield to all those trade people visiting the city and has evolved over the last decade into what it is today.

You can look forward to many different events independently organised across the city in pubs, bars, restaurants and breweries – possibly even shops and galleries too based on past experience! It is all coordinated by Jules Gray of Hop Hideout who also organises the annual Indie Beer Feast – a festival showcasing independent brewers with most of the bars hosted by the brewers themselves – which usually takes place the weekend prior to beer week.

For the latest news on the beer week, keep an eye on the website – sheffieldbeerweek.co.uk – or their socials.