City of Beer

Sheffield’s reputation for beer has grown to almost the same heights as its reputation for steel. It’s now arguably one of the best cities for beer in the world.

A University of Sheffield report in 2016 found that Sheffield is home to nearly five times more breweries per person than London. The scene has grown so much that beer now has a dedicated celebration with Sheffield Beer Week each March.

Sheffield’s breweries follow a longstanding tradition of small-scale, independent artisans, which can be traced back to the ‘little mesters’ of the city’s industrial past. Between them, they produce around a thousand different beers each year. As Sheffield emerges from lockdown, expect the pub experience to be a little different. Some will reopen with beer gardens or outdoor seating at first. Others are waiting until indoor service can resume. And many are encouraging you to book your table in advance. Prepare for your pint by checking with venues before you visit.

Out and About is where Sheffield’s LGBTQ+ community and beer culture meet. Bar managers Heather Griffin and Michael Deakin launched the organisation during Sheffield Beer Week in 2019. They create welcoming spaces in the city’s beer community for queer people and allies. Hosting relaxed socials in a network of supportive pubs, they aim to make everyone feel comfortable. In doing so, they help break down perceptions about these places and promote inclusivity. Events have been on pause since the Covid-19 crisis but follow them on Facebook to find out when they’ll be back. In the meantime, sup a can of their latest collaboration beer with Abbeydale Brewery. We spoke to Heather and Michael about the ideas behind Out and About and their hopes for the future.

Out and About

– Heather & Michael

What impact do you hope to have on the craft beer scene with Out and About?

We’re big fans of the idea of diversity breeding creativity. So in the longrun we want to encourage more queer people to get into craft beer. Currently that sphere is dominated by white men; if the industry wants to evolve it needs to diversify to gain new perspectives and ideas. The first step to achieving this is to make queer people feel safer and more welcome in their local pubs. There can be a perception amongst young queer people that the traditional boozer is not safe for them, that by going to these venues they are putting themselves at risk of being harassed. What we want to do is smash down that wall between these two worlds. Pubs are centres of communities and queer people deserve access to that as much as anyone else.

How have Sheffield’s queer and beerloving communities embraced what you do?

To a certain degree pretty well. Most of the big beer-focused venues in Sheffield have embraced us with open arms. Communicating and being involved with the queer community in Sheffield is something we need to get better at. We want to work with them more – we’d love to one day set up a little bar at Sheffield Pride, for example.

You have a few collaborations under your belt already, including one with Lost Industry and Sheffield Beer Week celebrating gay rights pioneer Edward Carpenter. What’s next?

Our ability to collab has really been hampered by Covid-19 as you would expect, however we’ve recently released a grapefruit radler in collaboration with Abbeydale Brewery and Queer Brewing. It’s the perfect beer to drink on a hot sunny day and we’re really hoping that some queer people who have usually stayed away from beer might try this one and enjoy it. It’s also been great to get this beer on shelves and behind the bar across the country so queer people outside of Sheffield can see that these organisations are out there. We’ve also got another beer with the same breweries coming out much later in the year.

What or where are you most looking forward to drinking when pubs reopen?

The venues that have supported us from day one: The Rutland, Shakespeares, The Crow Inn, Sheffield Tap. They’ll all be visited very soon. As for drinking, I think we’re both excited to drink a pint of our grapefruit radler from the keg, preferably in the sun.

/outandaboutsheff

Rutland Arms

Sheffield Tap

Sheffield Beer Week

Each March since 2015, Sheffield Beer Week has dedicated seven days to giving a platform to all that is wonderful about the city’s beer community. The citywide event shines a spotlight on Sheffield’s characterful pubs, passionate brewers and discerning drinkers, as well as welcoming beer folk from across the world. Beer Week director Jules Gray is a familiar face to many a beer lover, as the person behind the beer shop Hop Hideout (see opposite). sheffieldbeerweek.co.uk

Rutland Arms

The Rutland is a popular, laid back pub in the Cultural Industries Quarter. The bar offers local real ales from breweries such as Blue Bee and Geeves, as well as craft beer from the likes of Magic Rock and Mikkeler. Meals on the specials board lean towards bistro fare, while the standard menu includes a great chip butty. 86 Brown Street, S1 2BS therutlandarmssheffield. co.uk

Fagan’s

Fagan’s is a cosy hidden gem in the city centre. It’s known for its tough pub quiz and its mural by one of Sheffield’s favourite artists, Pete McKee. 69 Broad Lane, S1 4BS /faganspub

Hop Hideout

Set up by beer devotee Jules Gray in 2013, Hop Hideout is a specialist craft beer shop based in Kommune (see p68). It stocks over 200 bottles and cans of beers, ciders and natural wines, and also has four fresh rotating draught taps – all available to enjoy there or take home. Kommune, Castle House, 1–13 Angel Street, S3 8LN hophideout.co.uk

Sheffield Tap

Sheffield Railway Station’s popular on-site pub is housed in a series of elegant rooms on platform 1B. It was once a first class refreshment room and reopened as the Sheffield Tap in 2009. The bar stocks over 200 beers, both local and international, and there’s even a small brewery in the back room. It’s a stunning place to sink a pint before catching a train. 1b, Sheffield Station, Sheaf Street, S1 2BP sheffieldtap.com

Image courtesy of Mark Newton for Hop Hideout Hop Hideout

The Red Deer

Close to the uni, The Red Deer is popular with academic types. As well as excellent ales, it also offers a food menu that’s particularly strong on veggie and vegan options. 18 Pitt Street, S1 4DD red-deer-sheffield.co.uk

Image courtesy of Our Favourite Places

Industry Tap

With 21 keg lines and a huge fridge of bottles and cans, Industry Tap really does have something for beer drinkers of all persuasions. The bar prides itself on its rotating range of beers, selecting everything from the tasty to the interesting to the unusual from breweries in Sheffield and beyond. It’s a friendly spot with outdoor seating – complete with parasols for when it rains. 85 Sidney Street, S1 4RG industrytap.co.uk

The Bath Hotel

A Thornbridge-run pub, The Bath is tucked away from the Devonshire Quarter’s busier streets. It’s Grade IIlisted, with beautiful stained glass windows, a fire, and a cosy atmosphere. 66-68 Victoria Street, S3 7QL beerinthebath.co.uk

The Grapes

Portraits of JFK, James Connolly and Michael Collins peer out from the walls of this traditional and atmospheric Irish pub down Trippet Lane. Sup a Guinness and enjoy live traditional Irish music on most nights of the week. The Arctic Monkeys famously played their first gig in the pub’s upstairs room. 80 Trippet Lane, S1 4EL thegrapessheffield.com

True North Brew Co

True North Store

Since the early 90s, the team behind True North Brew Co have been responsible for running some of Sheffield’s favourite watering holes. It began with The Forum, the Devonshire Street bar that in summer blissfully spills out onto Devonshire Green. True North now operates its own brewery just next door to The Forum, where it brews its regular range, plus some more experimental beers, and also distills the distinctive True North Sheffield Dry Gin. Pick up kegs, bottles, gift sets and other Sheffield produce from its shop in The Forum arcade. Unit 17 The Forum, 127–129 Devonshire Street, S3 7SB truenorthbrewco.uk

The Three Tuns

The triangular Three Tuns may win the prize for Sheffield’s most unusually shaped pub. It also pulls a great ale, and is ideally situated on the route from the city centre to the beer quarter of Kelham Island. 39 Silver Street Head, S1 2DD thethreetunssheffield.co.uk

The Roebuck Tavern

Ideally located near the train station, this traditional English pub is just a stone’s throw away from the city centre and serves local ales and hearty food. 72 Charles Street, S1 2NB /pubsinsheffield

Dog and Partridge

Take a seat in this snug traditional pub with a cask ale or bottle of craft beer. True to its name, it prides itself on being dog-friendly. 56 Trippet Lane, S1 4EL thedogsheffield.co.uk

Beer Central

The Moor Market’s resident ale shop, Beer Central is stocked with beers brewed both locally and internationally. Its owners Sean Clarke and Deborah Jackson are always forthcoming with suggestions, making this the city centre’s go-to place when you want to enjoy a great drink at home. The Moor Market, Earl Street, S1 4PF /BeerCentralLtd

Triple Point Brewing

Beer enthusiast fatherson duo Mike and George Brook set up Triple Point in 2018. They soon recruited experienced brewers to help them turn their beer dreams into reality. Today, they create an interesting and ever-developing range of beers, with a particular emphasis on lagers. Enjoy draught beers as fresh as they come at their on-site bar and beer garden. The folks at Twisted Burger Company are on hand for when you get hungry too. 178 Shoreham Street, S1 4SQ triplepointbrewing.co.uk

Ambulo

Image courtesy of Ambulo