Restating the Purpose

Yes I know, it has been too long between posts to really call myself a blogger these days. But fear not, ale is still being drunk, in Sheffield, at home and in various other places around England. Yes, yes, I am really behind with my write ups but I still aim to catch up and there are a couple that can be added to the blog since Beer Matters don't seem to want to push them. I have many things to muse on (over?) though if you will.

But hey ho (and ho ho ho far too soon) we are looking forward to going around Newark the week before Christmas and checking out a micropub, which is an excellent concept and fast catching on. Just to recpap (and remind myself how far behind I am) we have toured the Good Beer Guide pubs in Newcastle, Durham, Scarborough, York, Wakefield, Leeds, Halifax and Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden, Rochdale, Manchester, Liverpool, Rotherham, Worksop, Chesterfield, Derby, Lincoln, Leicester, Nottingham, Burton (a cool but weird place), Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Bradford-Upon-Avon and parts of London. And we can tell you that Sheffield is one of the cheapest places to drink real ale, despite what you might think (perhaps you're drinking in the wrong places!). 

I started this blog to charter the real ale scene in Sheffield and felt some obligation to champion it since I picked such an ambitious name (oops). However I also found a new purpose by touring the country; the search for a comparable ale crawl to our own famous Kelham Island scene. And there are some that do hold up to scrutiny to be fair; Manchester's Northgate Quarter, Newcastle, Wakefield (yes really) and Chesterfield (dee da accusations none withstanding). And there are some that fall short; Birmingham, Lincoln and Burton. Birmingham was too busy with itself and too hip to worry about an ale scene. Lincoln had wonderful pubs but no local breweries (Marston's dominated) and Burton was just an odd place. It's a brewery surrounded by a town but there's only two major breweries left there; one of which does thankfully see cask ale as a just cause (Marston's) and the other of which it is a byproduct (Coors/Worthington's) of countless takeovers and downsizing. Bizarre that Coors now own the Bass site but Bass ale is now brewed by one time rival Marston's. At least part of the site is now the National Brewery Centre which every self respecting beer drinker should visit as a matter of course.

But I digress, tis the season to be jolly (like we need an excuse) and Christmas beers are starting to appear. But I can't bring myself to buy any yet. Maybe next week. But at least I have got into stouts and porters which has broadened my pallet at last. I'll be posting soon about bottled beer in Sheffield, something I have long since been meaning to post about. But even more pertinent now with these new businesses...

Real Ale Venue Categories

I thought it would be interesting to try and come up with a series of classifications for establishments that sell real ale. It is not an exhaustive list and some places may fit into more than one category.

Even though there are many different types of places that sell ale I have notice there are some common themes. It is more about the operation itself and the products sold than the building, for instance; whether it is a heritage pub is irrelevant it is more abut the modus operandi.

 

The Pure Ale Pub

Freehouses that focus only on selling real ale, with no food or entertainment; no games machines, no music, only continental lagers (bottled and draught) and quality bar snacks. Often with a décor that emphasizes wood and has modest size tables in order to increase seating space. More of a traditional pub it is less likely to open late and will often have a welcoming outside drinking area. Could be accused of being ‘old man’ pubs but this is frequently not the case and is becoming less so as real ale consumption continues to rise.

Examples: The Sheaf View, The Wellington, The Blue Bell in York, The Wellington in Birmingham, Strugglers Inn, Lincoln, The Cornubia in Bristol.

The Food/Entertainment Ale Pub

Freehouses, tenancies and managed houses that have many if not all of the features of the pure ale pub but also serve food or host live music nights. They may also play music and have games machines. Why the distinction between those that serve food and those that don’t? Well sometimes you just want to go for a drink and don’t wish to sit next to some one eating, particularly if you are a dog owner. It makes proceedings slightly more formal and also means there is a distraction from the selling of ale. Those pubs that don’t serve food will sell more beer and therefore take it very seriously as it’s all they do. Pubs that have live music also have a distraction and a very imposing one if you are looking for a quiet drink, they will also often serve later.

Examples: The Kelham Island Tavern, The White Lion, The Broadfield, The Bridge in Newcastle, Whitelocks in Leeds, The Brunswick in Derby.

Ale Bar

Definitely not a pub but an establishment that sells ale usually in the commercial part of a city or town centre. They will often have late opening hours, not be in a typical pub building or a much modified one at least, and play music sometimes by a DJ. They could also do food or live music and other alcoholic drinks such as Alco pops, wine and cocktails.

Examples: The Old House, Henry’s, Dada, The Hop, The Beer Parlour in Manchester, North Bar in Leeds, any Wetherspoons.

Affiliated Pub/Bars

These are pubs or bars that are connected to a brewery, either a micro, regional or national, so not a completely separate classification as such, but worth mentioning. The former sells beers from the affiliated brewery at a discounted price but the operation could be any of the previous classifications. Take away beer from the brewery and other merchandise is also sometimes available. The latter two largely work in the same way but the beer price may vary depending on the brand or location. The idea is there always a place where you can get most of the range from a brewery, at least with the former.

Examples: The Rising Sun, The Fat Cat, The Nags Head, The Rose & Crown in Chesterfield, The Fox & Newt in Leeds, Marble Arch in Manchester.

Ale Promoters

These are pubs/bars that are not defined by real ale but sell it alongside other beverages as they recognise there is a market for it. There will typically not be more than three hand pumps or as few as one. There will be a balance across all beverage types but this does not mean the ale will not be well looked after, and there would still be consideration for an entry in the Good Beer Guide should it receive enough votes.

Examples: The Wick at Both Ends, The Bessemer, The Crown on London rd.

Micro Pubs

The micro pub concept is really taking off around the country. Low start up and running costs are an attractive prospect for the real ale enthusiast seeking to be more involved in the ale scene. Typically the size of a terraced shop unit they will have a handful of tables, will have limited opening hours, only ever serve guest ales mainly from micro breweries and be run by one or maybe two people. There will most likely be no music or food, unless prepared off site, in order to keep licensing costs down, although snacks will be present. There are two micro pubs in neighbouring Chesterfield, both also great places to buy bottled beer, the Beer Parlour in Whittington Moor and the Real Ale Corner in  Brampton. Bizarrely, Sheffield does not have one although I am told that a couple of businessmen are looking at the possibility of setting up one in Broomhill.

All in all I think it is good that real ale drinkers have different types of surroundings in which to drink, variety is the spice of life and there are many different types of ale drinkers. But I will not be attempting to classify those anytime soon as it would be gargantuan task of diplomacy!

Beer Gardens of Sheffield

So which real ale pub in Sheffield has the best beer garden? I’m not the first local blogger to ask that question but seeing as we seem to be having some decent weather I thought I’d throw my opinion out there.

A few years ago I would have, without hesitation, agreed whole heartedly with gettothepub.com and say the Kelham Island Tavern. L shaped with plenty of seats, you sit among an urban jungle with actual vegetation. Sitting in that garden you would not think you were in the heart of an industrial wasteland. As pure escapism goes it’s hard to beat.

The Tavern is definitely still up there but there are now other outside drinking areas in which I’m also very happy to drink. The Fat Cat also has a top notch beer garden with the added features of a two covered areas, heat lamps and an equally cosy atmosphere. It wasn’t long ago when you could spot the old pub sign leaning against a wall, from the days when the Cat was known as the Alma after the road upon which it resides.

Staying around Kelham Island for now; the Riverside has a recently expanded beer garden although it is more functional than cosy in comparison to the last two discussed. However it does (as you would rather expect from its name) have a riverside beer garden, a surprisingly rare occurrence given the five rivers that flow through our fair city. There are only two that I can think of, both on the Don. The Riverside also has an outdoor shelter and has plenty of tables and seats.

The Gardeners Rest has the other riverside beer garden and is certainly a favourite of mine. Not that many seats but it does have a great atmosphere, with a few quirky touches, and has a better river view than the Riverside. Measures have been taken to boost the flood defences too in order to prevent a disaster on the 2007 scale, which saw them out of action for about 2 years. Being a little further out it does not get as busy as the gardens of the previous 3.

The Wellington is another of my favourites and while limited in size it more than makes up for it in character. There is a toilet seat, a traffic light and numerous signs pinned to the walls and fences. Having a covered area and ashtrays on the wall of the gents toilets also limits how much smoke gets into the garden. There is also a table around the other side of the toilet block which is often missed unless you squeeze past the owners car.

I am also quite partial to the drinking area around the conservatory of the Hillsborough. You could argue it is not very exciting but given its elevated rear position it offers a sense of privacy and some good views towards the city centre. The conservatory itself has 3 doors that can be opened meaning you still retain an element of the outside if you sit inside.

A recent favourite is the space behind the New Barrack Tavern which is often largely covered and provides plenty of vegetation as decoration. There is also a road sign that is a nod to a defunct nearby brewery; High House. And heading back towards town and up the hill there is the Blake which threatens to give you excellent views towards the city centre but sadly can’t, in respect to its neighbours. All decked out and with plenty of tables it is also not short on natural influences, which are due to be extended in the near future. There is also a sheltered smoking area near the back door and you can always perch on the back wall if all the tables are taken.

I must admit that I’m not sure what other beer gardens are on offer in the Crookes/Walkley area but I will be heading there soon so will investigate!

Moving into the city centre I would have to agree with gettothepub.com again; the Rutland Arms has the best beer garden there. A decent amount of seats and the level of vegetation serves to partly block out the city, although it’s hard to eliminate the roar of buses entering and leaving the bus station. And I’m told it’s no longer a sun trap since the Sheffield Hallam building across the lane was completed. But that wouldn’t bother me!

The Red Lion only had two tables at the front last time I went in but it is still a pleasant place to sit if you can. And the last time I drove past they had claimed some of the newly paved area near the front door with a couple more tables. It is not unpleasant to sit outside the Roebuck Tavern and watch the world go by, although I preferred doing the same outside the Yorkshire Grey (sob).

Heading out of the centre you have the University Arms which has a very nice place to drink beer outside. Plenty of space, trees and plenty of benches to sit at, all on grass too, but also suffers a little from being near a main road. Further up the hill and Sheffield’s nicest Wetherspoons is also the only one with a beer garden. The Francis Newton has benches around the building as well as a separate terrace on which you can eat. It’s a shame there are no seats in the garden, but then it is on a slope and I’m not sure if they’re allowed to do anything with it.

Shifting South East and you have the Sheaf View my celebrated local. Raised decking at the back and a grass bank with trees down the side make for pleasant surroundings. Further covered seating is round the side and mainly occupied by smokers. The beer garden is also very accessible with external doors in both sides of the pub and a path to the front.

I have always been quite fond of the White Lion’s beer garden having spent quite a lot of time there a few years ago. Cosy and interesting; spanning 3 levels it also has a shelter for smokers. If I recall there is some shrubbery and it certainly feels private.

I used to go to Carbrook Hall in days gone by as that has an excellent beer garden, but I’ve no idea if they currently have any real ale on. But that is all I can think to recommend in Sheffield without further investigation. It can generally be accepted that pubs further out in the suburbs probably have decent outside areas, due to lower density and possibly more greenery.

Of course you can always head out into the Peak District. The Millstone has plenty of tables outside the pub and a few more across the road at the edge of the car park. There are goats and micro pigs to amuse you but it’s a shame that trees obscure what would be a fine view. The Grouse has a modest sized terrace at the side of the building but does offer some good views. But if a view is what you want then you can’t beat the Barrel just outside Foolow, with it’s commanding ridge top position. Apparently on a clear day you can see 5 counties from that hill. There are some tables on a terrace at the front, some benches in front of the car parking spaces along the ridge, and you can sit on the grass bank at the side of the pub. Either way there are stunning views across a good portion of Derbyshire and if I recall there are 3 or 4 hand pumps dispensing real ale. If I could only go to one place it might well be there!

Your local - Favourite nearby pub or literally the nearest pub?

Being a card carrying CAMRA member (I do travel the country and you never know where there might be a discount!) I receive the seasonal publication Beer. In this year’s Spring issue there was an interesting for and against argument as to whether one's local is the nearest pub to where you live or the one that you visit the most because it ticks all your boxes, and is also near to your home. 

I myself have long considered this quandary and got around the problem by using the distinction of 'geographical local' and 'local'. The former being the closet pub to where I live and the latter being my regular drinking hole of choice. I have had a good few locals in my time and drank beer at all of them although I am a rather late convert to real ale, I have to admit. I remember drinking Trophy in my first local which was a Whitbread pub, remember those? I always thought it was funny that it stood almost opposite a Bass pub. Those were the days when you could walk into a pub and tell which brewery owned it, from what was on the bar, lagers and all. I suppose that is still possible now to some degree, only it’s now Greene King and Marston’s to distinguish between, amongst various regional breweries. Anyway, I digress from my digression; Trophy was a truly a lifeless, bland beverage and I'm somewhat pleased that it has completely disappeared. But at least it was weaker (and cheaper) than Pedigree which was the hand pull and as young 'un's we couldn't drink much of that in a session, and I didn't like Boddingtons which was the other (electric) alternative. 

Now that pub, (my first local; the Cross Scythes in Totley) was my favourite pub in the area and also the nearest to where I lived. It had pool, snooker, a juke box, sold pork scratchings and had character to spare (wallpaper peeling off the walls), what else did a teenage boy need? A local borne of proximity was also true of my next home, even though I was only there for 10 months, which was regrettable as the nearest boozer was the Rising Sun in Nether Green. I used to pop in there with my compatriot from the Totley days and play darts, and to be fair that is why I frequented it; it had a dart board. Oh the horror. I’d like to think that we did sample a few different ales but I can’t be sure. Not that I have anything against darts you understand, I just lament a missed opportunity to really appreciate a fine ale pub.

In the pursuit of darts, ale and downtime John and I have a long list of ours under our belt that acted as our local for our intents and purposes. Two other pubs were regularly visited in Totley; the Fleur De Lys (the former bass pub, turncoat! Although I later went on the work for Bass Leisure Retail/Six Continents/Mitchells & Butler), where we learned to appreciate Stones and the Shepley Spitfire which at that point was still a Kimberley Ales pub. This was before Greene King bought them and continued to cement their reputation as the bully of the brewery industry. We also used to visit the Yellow Lion in Apperknowle (the asshole of North Derbyshire, although this was before I visited Clay Cross), the Market in High Green, the Arundel near Ecclesfield (now an Indian restaurant), the Travellers Rest in Ecclesfield (Tetley’s Smooth, nooooo!) and the White Lion on London Rd.

I have just moved from Highfields where I lived for almost 6 years but my first local there was the newly refurbished Earl of Arundel and Surrey. That didn’t last long as landlords came and went and then completely gave up. From there I stuck with the White Lion for a good while, sinking many pints of hand pulled Tetley’s. For some reason the Sheaf View wasn’t quite on my radar at that point and I also occasionally dipped into the Golden Lion on Alderson Road, a pub that had never heard of real ale. But after a while good sense prevailed and the Sheaf stuck as my local, and it is contestable if that was actually the nearest pub as I lived about halfway between there and the Cremorne. But either way it is the place that will always be my local at heart and I am loathe to move too far away from it! Crazy perhaps, but sometimes that is the power of the local on a dedicated beer lover.

I am now living (as of last weekend) in the limbo area between Heeley and Meersbrook. So happily the Sheaf View is still nearby but it is not the closest pub anymore. But there’s no way in hell I am going to call the Old Crown my local as it hasn’t seen a hand pump since about 1968. Well, maybe 1999 as it was a Wards pub after all. Still, the White Lion is the nearest decent ale pub and that suits me just fine. But I guess I do subscribe to the view that my local is the nearest great pub that I don’t hesitate to visit with any excuse.

It is very subjective though; I used to call in the Yorkshire Grey (may it rest in peace) a lot and often referred to it as my ‘local in town’, as it was where I always ended up. Black Sheep, pool table, video games, food, outside beer garden and a mixed clientele meant that it covered a lot of ground. I don’t really have a local in town though although I suppose frequency might dictate that it’s the Red Deer. Even though the Harlequin probably isn’t my most visited Kelham Island pub, I would still say it’s my local in that area as I now meet John there once a month (darts are no longer thrown even though it does have a darts board!) and I got with my other half Pip there and so where else could I propose to her last summer?!

So ends my thoughts on the ‘local’ issue although I seem to have almost detailed my entire beer history, sorry!

New Local Breweries

So, it seems that the number of locally based brewers is still growing! The beginning of 2013 has seen the emergence of 3 new Sheffield breweries, and I also recently found out about another South Yorkshire brewery that started last year.

First of all I came across Harthill Brewery for the first time at the Bradford Beer Festival in Saltaire, one of my favourite beer festivals. We sampled Hart’s Desire (4.4%) and were dutifully impressed so resolved to investigate further upon our return the steel city. As it turns out, Harthill is on the eastern extremity of South Yorkshire, close to the border with Nottinghamshire, and showcases it’s ales in the Beehive, a popular dining pub. We only just managed to get a table and it was almost frowned upon that we weren’t dining! It is the best place to find their beers, although their website does list the establishments that have stocked it so far. A link to the website has been added to recommended links on the right.

Next, I forget where, we came across Toolmakers brewery which also stated it was a Sheffield brewery. The next edition of Beer Matters I read shed some more light on the situation; Toolmakers is a new brewery attached to the Forest on Rutland Road. I saw that pub up for lease myself last year and its position does lend itself to a real ale venture, being close enough to Kelham Island. The Forest is to be renamed the Woodside Tavern (on my second visit last Sunday I was informed they were still waiting for the signs to be delivered!) but it is not clear as to the type of ‘Real Ale Pub’ they are aiming for. There is certainly enough sign of the former working men’s pub that the Forest was, at the moment. Although there is always the issue of funding as to how quickly things can be done after take over. But even so, not everyone has to conform to the typical set up of expensive European lagers, quirky bar snacks, absence of background music and an open dog policy. There are examples of successful ale pubs in the city that don’t fully go down that road; the Ale House, Henry’s and the Ship for instance.

Talk of a brewery attached to the Sheffield Tap has been around since Henry’s started brewing their Long Blonde (hopefully they will brew more varieties in time). It is now operational and the range is now being served on the bar, although does this mean there will be less Thornbridge being sold there? In some sense I hope it does otherwise guest breweries will miss out, and Thornbridge could be considered to be overrepresented in Sheffield already. I have not tried a Tapped beer yet but my better half has and it was rated highly so I keen to return soon. I remember reading that the ales will be sold in the Euston Tap and the York Tap as it’s the same people. If this is true then it’s great that the brewery was chosen to be in Sheffield, although I’m aware that might have been a matter of space as there is barely space to sit in the Euston Tap never mind brew! Also, out of the three stations Sheffield is the least busy with this city having never been a major transport hub thanks to the challenge of getting around or through its seven hills, therefore resulting in more free station space.

And lastly I noticed a Chantry Brewery beer in the Gardener’s Rest last Sunday evening. After doing a little research I found they are based in Rotherham and started last year with a core range of three ales. Hopefully I will sampling one soon!

R.I.P. Stef

Bad news fellow beer drinkers of Sheffield; Stef, the Fat Cat's cat, has been put down due the worsening of her heart condition. Approx 15 years old, she has been a regular feature of the popular Kelham Island real ale pub over the last few years. Alas though there was only one option last Wednesday when it became apparent that her quality of life would never be the same again.

Stef was owned by the previous landlord, Steve, and Duncan, the current landlord, has no plans to replace her. I am told he has a recently got a kitten but it will remain in the living quarters upstairs, a very wise move given the occasional abuse Stef suffered at the hands of drunken customers or their dogs.

None the less, Stef was a graceful and resilient feline who did not suffer stroker’s gladly if she was not in the mood! Although she did seem to be getting friendlier recently. Indeed, the last time I saw her a few months ago she was sat on the stairs and was quite content to let me stroke her.

Stef you will be much missed.

Beer Escalator and Beer X

So all that hard campaigning has paid off! It’s a nice reminder that democracy does work sometimes; if you shout loud enough with enough voices those in power occasionally listen. I’d like to think that common sense also won over when the pub closure numbers and unemployment figures were examined. Good Ol George even went one step further and took 1p off the price of a pint! They must have been serving a strong ale in the House of Commons bar today. Although his expectation that the saving will be passed on to consumers was perhaps a little optimistic, but you never know.

There are certainly some local pubs that should lower their prices, that’s for sure, along with a handful of micro breweries with an inflated sense of self importance that could knock a little off a barrel of beer. I don’t think I need to name names, I’m sure everyone can think of appropriate examples!

By whom that expectation should most definitely be honoured by, however, is by the unfair pub companies and perhaps the national and regional breweries as well. But I think that a lot of free houses that rely on passing trade would do well to keep that extra penny. What is better, beer that is the same price or a closed public house?

But then again the argument could be made that all pubs passed on the VAT rise in 2010, so why would they not pass on a saving? Now I know a 1p is not a lot but according to the BBC’s budget calculator I’ll save £6.94 a week! That’ll do me thanks George, I’m sure you’ll make it back off me somewhere else.

On a separate note, I attended Beer X last Friday which was the beer festival that followed the Society of Independent Breweries (what on earth does the A stand for??) AGM and award ceremony. Well... I wasn’t really very impressed to be honest. To say it is the Society of Independent Brewers it looked very corporate with low lighting, purple and red spot lights, a PowerPoint style display on the screen above the stage and an eclectic music selection. Not that I was expecting a mahogany bar with a sawdust floor. Although...

To be fair the style of the event was quite a welcome change having been to a good many CAMRA beer festivals. But what really upset me was the lack of organisation of the available beer on the bar. Because there really was no logical order to what was on offer, which was very little. They started running out of beer sooner than last year’s Steel City Beer Festival! The substantial programme had the beers listed in regional order, only the bar did not. In fact not all the beers were on at once so looking at beers in the book was completely pointless, you had to walk up and down the bar and hope that could get a beer of something good before it went off. Suffice to say my party and I did not stay all night. We checked out the new room at the Sheffield Tap, which is very impressive, and then visited the Rutland Arms and the Red Deer which pulled the night back nicely.

I’ll try and blog more often! Not that I don’t have any interesting thoughts (insert joke) about the beer industry, I just stopped writing them down. And believe me, real ale is always being drunk!