Category: Opinion

Sheffield Beer Week celebrated its 10^th anniversary this March. Now that the dust has settled on another successful event, we talk to organiser Jules Gray to get her thoughts on how it has developed since its beginning in 2015.

What changes do you think you’ve seen over the last 10 years?

When we started, it’s the first one so I don’t necessarily think people understand what it is, or what you’re trying to achieve, which is understandable. It was great in that first year that we had a few venues like the Rutland and Shakespeare’s that really got on board straight away and it launched in a very short space of time. I think we organised it in two months.

How many venues were involved the first year.

Probably only about twenty venues and maybe about twenty events. But then once it happened, people saw the positivity from it, not only the people attending events but the economic and longer term benefits of it. The year after it basically doubled in size. At its maximum it was something like forty venues with over seventy events.

How do you think that the Sheffield beer scene has changed in the ten years.

Well, it’s changed in lots of different respects. There’s some of the longer standing Sheffield breweries that are still around, such as Abbeydale, and recently of course Kelham Island Brewery is under new ownership, but it’s still around.

So there’s been a changing of the guard as it were. I’ve seen breweries launch and sadly disappear, such as North Union who actually launched in Sheffield Beer Week. St Mars Of The Desert opened up around the end of 2018-2019 and it’s about recognising that a brewery might be in Sheffield but will be importing ingredients from all around the world and also doing collaborations, which is something that I’ve seen develop.

There’s been a move for traditional breweries to try experimental styles, such as mixed fermentation brewing, and also put in their beers not only in a firkin or keg, but putting it in cans and bottles. When I started Hop Hideout in 2013 I think I only had Bradfield and Kelham Island I could sell in bottles from local breweries.

Are there any standout breweries or beers over the 10 years?

Ohh, that’s difficult. And my memory is terrible these days. I mean, the Abbeydale & Thornbridge collab, ‘Stepping Stones’, was a big thing. I really like the Edward Carpenter beer that we did with Lost Industry. It was a beetroot sour, which was bright purple and had this earthy sourness. He was a Sheffield character from the late 1800’s who lived openly as a gay man in Sheffield and fought for gay rights and women’s suffrage, things like that.

There was the ‘Right To Roam’ IPA we did with St Mars Of The Desert, that was a good one as well. It was a collaboration with Nick Hayes, who’s a best-selling author and campaigner for the countryside, to celebrate the 90^th anniversary of the Kinder Trespass.

I’m really proud of the beer ‘Ethel’ that we did with Triple Point this year to celebrate Ethel Haythornthwaite. She was a passionate environmentalist who helped establish the Peak District.

To be honest, when I look back and I talk to people about it, there’s loads of amazing things that have been part of Beer Week.

Indie Beer Feast is now an important part of Sheffield Beer Week. When was that introduced?

I think the first indie beer feast was in 2018, it was just one day at the Abbeydale Picture House. I’ve always wanted to do a beer festival. It attracts people to the city. What typically happens when you put beer festival on is people visit places whilst they’re here, so it benefits the local economy and local beer businesses.

And have you had any breweries that have been at Indie Beer Feast every year?

I don’t know to be honest. Abbeydale have been quite a lot, but I’m not sure they’ve been at every one. In general, it’s chopped and changed. I generally have some Sheffield breweries represented and then a nice pick from across the country. People like to see a bit of variety.

I like to champion under-represented, minority groups and stuff as well, lots of women-owned businesses and things. So Neptune Brewery have poured quite a lot at Indie Beer Feast.

When you first started it did you think from the outset it would run for years.

I didn’t think that at all. I knew that I really wanted to do it, and I thought it would be really beneficial for a lot of people and I had a feeling that people would support it and be positive about it. I’ve never said this will go on for x number of years, it’s quite organic in that respect.

I noticed that there was four or five cask lines at Indy Beer Feast. Is that something that’s increased, because traditionally it always was mainly keg.

Yeah, it wasn’t ever set in stone you know. It was always down to the breweries, and it can be quite challenging with cask because of the venting and tapping and letting it settle. Obviously some of the newer breweries have typically focused on keg. For example, Kernel Brewery started in 2009 and its only recently they’ve started doing cask beer. But I I’ve always left it down to the brewery, it’s their choice.

You know, I think a lot of people are falling in love with cask beer again as it’s a traditional British way of brewing and packaging beer and I think it’s come full circle in a way. So some of those modern craft breweries are now producing more of it. I mean, some of those that were pouring were Sheffield breweries so it was easier for them but we had Torrside offering cask as well.

I do think that there will always be a place for cask ale.

Hop Hideout are moving to the new development at Leah’s Yard on Cambridge Street in Sheffield City Centre. Their Crowdfunder successfully raised nearly £10,000! Visit www.hophideout.co.uk  to keep up to date with their new move and opening this summer. We’ll talk again to Jules to get the lowdown on how the move has gone once they’re settled in the new premises.

Sheffield has a tradition as a brewery city since the mid-late 18^th century when there were around 30 in the city. It is also a music city, which sees the real ale bars busy most nights.      

The ‘60s saw the advent of Sheffield as an emerging force in music, mainly through Joe Cocker. A gas fitter. He lived in Crookes. He took the scene by storm, singing “With a Little Help from My Friends.” This song landed him a 1969 Woodstock Festival spot, and his famous animated performance shot him to fame. Joe was a local legend often drinking Stones, Magnet or Whitbread in Crookes and Sheffield Lane Top pubs.

The ‘70s saw a more pubs and clubs vying to put performances on, among the best of these The Mucky Duck and The Jolly Buffer. The Mucky Duck hosting the first gig by British punk band The Clash.  The late ‘70s and ‘80s saw the emergence of rock and electronic bands playing pubs and clubs around the City including The Limit Club.

There is much to celebrate from the City’s new bars that provide music. Many of them around Neepsend, Kelham, Commonside and Ecclesall all serve real ales from Blue Bee, Stancill, True North, Abbeydale, Vocation, and provide entertainment. Thornbridge are also popular and provide music on a regular basis. The Gardeners Rest at Neepsend has a regular Sunday session with the likes of M&J Blues (pictured) and Jake’s Rake, this goes well with the wide selection of 8 cask beers, and a few kegs and ciders

Just down the road on Percy Street sits Alder Bar, an old Victorian polish factory. The bar hosts a brewery and live music at the weekend. A real ale enthusiast bar, although the odd keg is served. Music ranges from bands to DJs.

The 3 giants of the local music scene however, are The Leadmill, a club that began in the ‘80s, partly due to Martin Bedford (local artist and music promoter), way before he founded the Honey Bees Blues Club which launched a good few local careers. The venue has hosted many bands including Big Country (pictured), Manic Street Preachers, The Killers, Suede and Muse. Although there is no cask ale available, Craft beer from breweries such as Triple Point, Abbeydale, Thornbridge and Heist is sold here on keg and in cans.

Shakespeares Ale & Cider House and The Greystones, sit at opposite ends of the City; Shakespeare’s being part of the Kelham Island catchment area. A very good range of cask beers is supplemented by unus International Americana ((Massy Ferguson pictured) and folk bands play. Cask, kegs and stouts including strong Imperial Stouts feature strongly. They regularly host a Tramlines Fringe every year, which sees the local and International artists.  Meanwhile down at Victoria Quays on the edge of the City Centre is the Dorothy Pax hosting regular gigs.

On the South of the City sits The Greystones, atop the Greystones Road hill. A pub taken over by Thornbridge some time ago, they regenerated The Backroom. This hosts anything from Americana, Country, Folk, Blues and the odd rock band. These are mainly British, but again American bands come over to play such as Wild Ponies (pictured).

New kids on the block like Hillsborough Social Club have joined the fray, hosting Honey Bees Blues Club bands in the afternoon on the Sunday Sessions (Donovylan pictured), as well as faces from clubland and the local Indie/rock scene on Saturday evenings.

A great scene, at little or no cost to the drinker.        

Founded in 1990, the Inn Sign Society raises awareness of the nation’s pub signs and compiles a record for the benefit of future generations. Many pub names have links with events from the past or personalities of national and local importance, and the Society provides a forum for members to research the history of inns and pub names.

It has an active web site and a quarterly full-colour journal to which members are encouraged to submit articles, pictures of pub signs and news from their areas.

As inns and pubs close at an alarming rate, much local heritage is in danger of being lost forever. Pubs are not just a place to enjoy a drink, they are often at the heart of the community and can reflect its history. Many members take a general interest in all signs, with some specialising in particular breweries, counties, aircraft or railways, to name but a few.

The Inn Sign Society is seeking to recruit more members and bring in new blood to help continue the good work done over the last 34 years. For more information, including on how to join, see the website at innsignsociety.com If the Inn Sign Society doesn’t research, capture and save our pub sign heritage, perhaps no-one else will.

Iain Perks, Membership Secretary Inn Sign Society

Pale Rider, from Stephen Wragg

Like many of us, I was so disappointed when Kelham Island brewery stopped brewing beer, especially their flagship Pale Rider. Then, I was delighted when the Thornbridge brewery was involved with its renaissance.

Having tried several examples from Thornbridge, I’m not sure that it is an exact copy of the original and wondered if any Sheffield CAMRA members had expressed a similar opinion?

I’ve been reminded by Rick Ellison, the boss of Atlantik Inns, who run the Old Hall Hotel in Hope and a few others, that October saw the 35th anniversary of the late Geoff Fuller and his wife Pat taking over the licence of the Three Stags’ Heads at Wardlow Mires – they arrived there on 14 October 1988.

The Three Stags’ Heads has quite the legendary status being a very long established, unspoiled rural pub that is listed in CAMRA’s National Inventory of historic pub interiors and has won many awards, full of characters and dogs. It just opens for a long weekend, from Thursday evening onwards and has a selection of local ales on the bar. The pub has two rooms, both with open fires.

Geoff and Pat retired from running the pub in 2019 with Andy & Cath installed as managers.

Pat tells the story that when they bought the pub she just wanted a place where she could make pottery with Geoff, with room for a kiln. Geoff, who had already made a name for himself in ceramic circles, fancied the idea of tying it in with a traditional English pub. I’m sure that anyone who has visited the Three Stags will agree you can’t get any more traditional than this!

The Three Stags is somewhere you will enjoy a visit to as long as you do it with respect and on the terms of the landlord and regulars! You also need to appreciate the specific character and charm that some may consider eccentric or quirky. I recall back when I first visited the beer range was cask from Abbeydale (including their house special Black Lurcher Ale named after the dogs) and some bottled Belgian beers, with a notice above the bar stating “please do not ask for draught lager as a punch in the gob often offends”.

Rick Ellison recalls once being in there somewhat under the influence and almost tripping over something that moved. He asked on his next visit “Geoff, did I trip over a chicken last week?” with Geoff replying without hesitation “the biggest we’ve had in was a donkey!”.

“Andy Knives” the manager recalls a stormy afternoon when a group of soaking wet walkers came in and completely surrounded the fireplace. Geoff was heard to say “would you mind moving so that the rest of the pub can feel the fire?” to which the reply was “we will when we are warm and dry”. To Geoff this was a red rag to a bull! He went straight to the cellar and got a plastic Newcastle Brown crate that happened to fir perfectly into the open fire, much to the upset of Pat who was heard shouting “we get a deposit back off them Geoff!” The stern reply was “I don’t care”. Within 30 seconds the tap room floor parted like the Red Sea and the heat was like napalm, Once the pandemonium had started to subside, Geoff was heard to say “Are ya warm enough lads?”

Geoff’s funeral service took place on 1 June 2022, the pub remains open and unspoilt.

You can read Geoff’s obituary in the Guardian newspaper here.

Green King recently announced that they are supplying pins (4.5 gallon casks of beer) of ‘Fresh Cask Releases’ to all their managed, leased, tenanted and free trade customers, as part of their seasonal cask beers calendar. The first releases, in July, were Ale Fresco (4.3%, golden ale) and New Tricks (a 4% collaboration with Nethergate, which includes ginger and lemon).

Are there any local breweries doing the same? If so, please tell us, as we know of several local outlets who are attempting to purchase pins of local cask beer, but having zero success. Pins have the advantage of both offering an additional choice and allowing the provision of cask beer when throughput is not high.

Whilst CAMRA is better known for banging the drum about real ale and pubs, we also campaign for better availability of proper cider and perry in pubs and bars and have two months a year – May and October – when we are asked to make a special effort to promote cider & perry and encourage drinkers to seek it out and try it. The reason those two months are chosen is October is typically when the apples and pears are harvested and pressed and May is usually when new batches of cider and perry are ready and released!

When we talk about “real” cider or perry, we mean products that are made by fermenting freshly pressed juice and using only natural, genuine flavours. The vast majority of ciders on the bars in the UK are industrial products manufactured from concentrate.

Sheffield isn’t exactly known for its cider scene but we do have a few people and places doing great things. The longer term stalwarts have been Liz at the Harlequin and Steph & Kev at the New Barrack Tavern which both stock a large range of bag in box ciders with a number of them fitting CAMRA’s definition of “real” and just over the border in Holmesfield, Derbyshire, we have Dick Shepley at Woodthorpe Hall making cider.

Since then they’ve been joined by Hop Hideout in the Kommune food hall in Sheffield City Centre stocking an impressive selection of bottled ciders and perries as well as occasionally having a keg conditioned cider on tap and for national Cider Week in April a number of events were organised by Jules showcasing various producers and I attended a special tasting session with Albert from Ross on Wye cider. Whilst the majority of the differences in flavours and characters in the different ciders are down to which apple variety is used, they also make a number of interesting ciders that have been fermented in oak casks and also do blends of different vintages to maintain the right flavours.

Finally, the newest show in town, Mike Pomranz, who opened the Cider Hole at Shalesmoor and started making his own cider there under the Exemption Ciderhouse banner. He’s also worked with us to host tutored tasting events at our Steel City Beer & Cider Festival and the CAMRA Members’ Weekend plus each year he works with Heist Brew Co. to put on an annual cider festival in their tap room, this year it is planned for 15 July. The end of May saw the Cider Hole close with it all relocating to a new City Centre bar – The Old Shoe in Orchard Square – opening in partnership with Matt from the Bear on Abbeydale Road (read more elsewhere in this issue).

You may have noticed the headline also mentioned mead – an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey – and wondered where that fitted in. Well partly because I have memories of attending certain CAMRA beer festivals years ago where the cider bar randomly had bottles of mead tucked away at the end and I don’t ever recall seeing mead on sale at any pubs or bars in that era – but also because Grizzly Grain brewery has been making Sheffield mead in small batches using honey from Heeley City Farm with bottles available at their tap sessions. Interestingly as well as the traditional strong mead in big bottles they also offer a session mead at a more sensible strength with a hopped version available. Changes are afoot on the mead front however with beekeeping due to end at the farm so the honey will be sourced elsewhere with an opportunity to produce slightly bigger volumes as a result and there is talk of putting mead into cask for a pub to serve on handpump!

It may seem an age ago now, but we entered the year 2022 with the government’s “Plan B” in force for Covid with a requirement to wear face coverings in shops and to show a Covid pass proving we were clean in order to gain admission to pubs and clubs that opened late night! We were also still being asked to work from home where possible.

Most of the restrictions were lifted on 27 January, although advice to wear face coverings voluntarily in crowded areas and on public transport continued for a while after, as did a requirement to isolate if testing positive for Covid. A programme of vaccinations also continued for all.

The rest of 2022 was, in theory, a return to normal. By summer there were no restrictions or requirements in England. However we have seen some culture change as people have got quite used to working from home, ordering shopping online for home delivery and having friends round to socialise… perhaps enjoying a monthly subscription box from a local brewery together!

There has also been an ongoing issue with public transport due to staff shortages affecting the wider transport industry across the country for a number of reasons. On the more positive front however is a maximum single fare of £2 on the buses and trams until the end of March. There are some bargains to be had here – trips as far as Barnsley, Doncaster, Mansfield, Matlock, Bakewell, Buxton and Castleton can be done for just £4 return!

All these things seem to have impacted pub-going; the after work pint is much less of a thing and people aren’t venturing out far midweek but may be making the effort more at the weekend.

Later on in 2022 we started to see new problems, primarily surrounding inflation with rocketing costs of energy, fuel, food and drink and everything else impact brewers, publicans and of course consumers and towards the end of the year we started to hear of breweries around the country calling it a day. This is something we shall sadly see more of in 2023 I think. October 2022 also saw cuts to bus services, particularly in the evenings, with operators grappling with a combination of driver shortages, increased operating costs and phasing out of government Covid recovery funding, as well as changes to demand after Covid.

Not all has been bad of course – pubs being able to operate as normal has been great for their business, for people who like to socialise drinking in them and of course the breweries that supply them. We’ve also seen new venues open and events taking place again including our own Steel City festival. We’ve seen a wonderful atmosphere in the city when events such as the Women’s Football World Cup was hosted and of course Tramlines festival and the fringe brought the usual party to the city.

The Devonshire Cat pub had closed in the first lockdown in 2020, the premised reopened in a new guise in July 2022 as Indie-go Resurrection, an indie music bar. This is much less beer focused than the Dev Cat was, however there are usually a couple of handpumps on, featuring beer from Bradfield Brewery. Bar Stewards closed down in 2022 but very quickly reopened as the West Bar Tap.

Happy’s Bar opened in Neepsend just in time for Christmas with two cask ales on the bar from Abbeydale and Vocation.

2022 also saw the passing of characters from the pub scene including Wendy Woodhouse and, more recently, Adrian Keogh.

On the brewery front, we lost Kelham Island Brewery, although a consortium has since bought the brand and Pale Rider is once again available albeit brewed at Thornbridge. Sheffield Brewery Company continues to suspend production, although their brewery bar is now leased out to an independent operator and opens daily as a normal pub called Alder. Two new breweries, brewSocial and HQ Brew, also launched.

Over in Rotherham, Chantry Brewery were finally able to open their new tap bar in the brewery which also operates as a live music venue. The bar is open Friday and Saturday evenings, with the bar open to the public if there is no gig. The brewery is a short walk from Parkgate Tram Train terminus. Elsewhere Fuggle Bunny continued their regular Friday tap sessions and Intrepid hosted the occasional open day.

There is already plenty to look forward to in 2023. January sees Shakespeares‘ regular beer festival with some rather out-there brews. February sees Chesterfield CAMRA’s beer festival return to the Winding Wheel Theatre and the Rotherham Real Ale & Music Festival at Magna. March brings the return of Indie Beer Feast to Trafalgar Warehouse in Sheffield City Centre followed by Sheffield Beer Week across many venues. In April we are hosting CAMRA’s National Members’ Weekend, AGM & Conference at the University of Sheffield’s Octagon Centre. As usual, Easter also gives us the first of the regular programme of bank holiday beer festivals at the Old Hall Hotel at Hope.

Notable upcoming events on the Sheffield beer pub scene include Tom & Barbara’s retirement from Fagan’s, Jon & Mandy departure from the White Lion in Heeley, and Connor celebrating ten years running the Dog & Partridge.

Keep an eye on our website for listings of beer festivals, branch socials, award presentations and more – lets all get out there an enjoy beer and pubs as much as we can in 2023!

Commenting on the latest ONS data on inflation, CAMRA National Chair Nik Antona said:

“We’re all keen to visit our much-loved pubs and social clubs this festive season, but this data shows just how much households will struggle to enjoy a night out with friends, family, or colleagues. Huge rises in the fixed costs paid by pubs – including energy bills – mean that they have no choice but to increase prices, despite doing everything they can to continue to welcome their customers, and this data showing that other parts of the economy are starting to see inflation slow.  

“It’s unacceptable that the on-trade has been left behind by Government in this way. It’s now urgent that energy bill support is announced for beyond April 2023, and that the inflationary general duty rise is cancelled.”