In Sheffield, thinking goes into the drinking
By Phil Mellows
Returning to the breweries, pubs and streets of Yorkshire’s steel city, Sheffield Beer Week starts today. The official dates are March 6 to March 12, but like a lively pint it spills over. There was even a tap takeover last weekend. This thing has no patience.
But you can understand why. Now in its ninth year, Sheffield was one of the pioneers of the beer week wave that was sweeping the nation before Covid put a stop to it. Along with Norwich City of Ale – which this year is running for a whole month from the end of May – it introduced a more leisurely way of exploring beer and its local roots.
Unlike the beer festival, it could encompass multiple venues, allowing the beer tourist to make the most of a city break, stick around and get to know the place, benefiting the local economy in general.
At last count there were 50 events happening in 40 different venues. As well as tastings, food pairing, tap takeovers, meet the brewers, music, quizzes, talks, walks and runs, new brews are being launched and brewing collaborations forged.
Highlights include the Indie Beer Feast at Trafalgar Warehouse this weekend, a mini-festival featuring street food and tastings hosted by top beer writers Pete Brown and Adrian Tierney-Jones.
Heist Brew Co’s role-playing crime caper also catches the eye, as does a Dungeons and Dragons beer tasting adventure at the Treehouse Board Game Café.
There’s also a special celebration for International Women’s Day on March 8, which brings together beer and cider in the shape of co-founder of Sheffield Beer Week Jules Gray, who runs the Hope Hideout beer shop, and Susanna Forbes of the Little Pomona cider house.
That will be followed “early” the next morning by an IWD brew day at Lost Industry Brewing open to all women who fancy the idea of a bit of hands-on mashing-in and hop-pitching.
One of the things I like best about Sheffield Beer Week is the thinking that goes into the drinking. This year’s main theme, Going Back To Our Beer Roots, recognises the part beer, brewing and pubs plays in our history and heritage, and a week like this is a fine and fun opportunity to celebrate all that.
Photo © It’s No Game