Sheffield Visit

As I often do, I stayed at the Crow Inn, 33 Scotland Street, S3 7BS (website), which I have written about many times before, eg blog, where I met up with one of my friends, more joined as the 'crawl' continued! 😉 And yes, I had eaten at Mama's and Leonies, where I usually eat in Sheffield, eg blog, I took  no photographs this time, but plenty of photographs in other blogs.

I spent much more time chatting to the 4 friends I drank with this 'pub crawl' in Sheffield, including the nomadic Steev, who I hadn't seen for many years. Consequently, my notes were very sparse, and so were photographs taken this visit, but careful use of my own 'library images' and knowing all the places I visited very well, will make up for that, I trust. Indeed, all these pubs will have been linked here many times. As you can see, I did take a photograph of one of the ales I drank at the Crow (above), from across the Pennines at Macclesfield brewery Red Willow (website), their Weightless, a 4.2% session IPA, brewed with Mosaic hops (hopslist), which resulted in a lovely pale ale, tasting of citrus grapefruit and tropical fruits, and with a dry bitter finish, excellent!

We also visited The Wellington, 1 Henry Street S3 7EQ (facebook), where we met up with Steev, and which I've also written about many times before, also at this blog. Now, I do remember eating one of their excellent value cheese and red onion sandwiches, similar to that photographed for that blog, and I drank ales from their own brewery, Neepsend (website), which were no doubt excellent, but apologies, I have no notes, so cannot share anymore information here. 😒

Of course, we also visited the award winning Kelham Island Tavern, 62 Russell Street S3 8RW (website), and with pal Pete of Blue Bee Brewery (website), who brew the pub's 'house ales' 🍺 and I will have had one of their cracking pale bitters. Most likely it would have been their latest version of American Five Hop (4.3%), or another one-off ale, whatever, it will have been excellent, or I would have remembered. I have never had a bad ale from Blue Bee, always hoppy, fruity with a dry bitter finish, they do know how to use hops properly, cheers Pete!

Again, no notes for visiting here, but we did visit, no doubt about that! Shakespeares, 146-148 Gibraltar Street S3 8UB (facebook), which always has a fine array of ales and crafty keg beers for sale. I'll guess I drank an ale from Abbeydale Brewery (website), which is highly likely. 😉

Because I quite often use the Winter Garden in Sheffield (Council website) as a quiet place to relax and reflect, fill in time, or to warm up in colder weather, I thought I'd share that I did visit again, on my way to the railway station this time. The opening times for the Winter Garden are Monday to Saturday 08.00 to 20.00; Sunday 10.00 to 17.00; Public Holidays 10.00 to 17.00; and the only day of the year it is closed, excluding emergencies, is Christmas Day. 🌲

And, on reaching Sheffield Railway Station, 1b Sheaf Street S1 2BP, on platform 1 (internally), is the Sheffield Tap (website). And what a great place the Tap is too, historically it is placed in the tastefully refurbished Edwardian Refreshment Room and Dining Rooms, and with its own on-site microbrewery, which has another excellent head brewer I know.

So, from the 11 handpulls on the bar, which of their own ales did I drink? As I was travelling a fair few miles and hours I went for the very easy drinking 3.6% 'New Zealand Pale Ale' Tapped Brew Co Toha. Brewed with Nelson Sauvin (hopslist), Taiheke (NZhops), and Nectaron (NZhops) hops, this may only be a 'weaker' session pale ale, but it certainly packs a lot of flavour from the use of those hops, nice one Ben! Pale, full of tropical and citrus fruits, with grapefruit, lime and gooseberry standing out, pale and dry with a bitter finish, pretty damn good indeed!

I'll return to Sheffield yet again, and pretty soon, cheers m'dears! 😁

Peanut's at the Vat and Fiddle!

Yes, literally, a cat called Peanut keeps turning up at a pub and brewery 33 miles away from his home, he loves the ambience and company, apparently... He first turned up there on the 9th of July, after being missing from his home in Lincolnshire for 6 days already, apparently enjoying his first birthday at the pub, the Vat and Fiddle in Nottingham (website). He was reunited with his owners after it was realised that he was 'chipped' but he returned to the pub again within 3 days of going missing a second time (BBC). It is a complete mystery how he travels between the 2 places, but he certainly remembered the way back, don't be surprised if he returns yet again! 

I have a long history with Tynemill and Castle Rock Brewery (website) going back to well before I started blogging, indeed my local pub 25 years ago is one of theirs, the New Barrack Tavern in Sheffield (website), although it wasn't owned by Castle Rock on my first visit there 30 years ago, but acquired since. I got on really well with their manager and his wife, and have a Castle Rock polo shirt given to me by them, without having the necessary points (they run a loyalty scheme). And I first visited the Vat and Fiddle towards the end of the last millennium, before going to a football match at Nottingham Forest with my then wife, where on that occasion we met another friend we've both kept as a friend since, Paul. So, Castle Rock, and I have mentioned their ales before, have made quite an impression on my life, a bit like Peanut's life! 🐱

Castle Rock Brewery do brew some excellent cask ales, including the 2 you are most likely to see around the country, Harvest Pale and Elsie Mo, and I have written about their ales before, for example on my older blog. The Harvest Pale (3.8%) is a very light and very drinkable citrussy session ale, brewed with Centennial (hopslist), Cascade (hopslist) and Chinook (hopslist) hops. The Elsie Mo is a stronger 4.7% golden ale, still very citrussy but more complex, and very drinkable too, and brewed with First Gold (hopslist), Challenger (hopslist), and Slovenian Aurora (hopslist) and Bobek (hopslist) hops. Look out for them, cheers! 😁

Image from the Vat and Fiddle facebook page.

Sheffield: Congratulations to Brian at the Bath Hotel!

I've thought about using the image above for many years now, which is of my pal Rick the Dentist, on the left, with Brian Johnson the Landlord, in the Bath Hotel, 66-68 Victoria St, Sheffield S3 7QL (website). Rick sent this photograph to me soon after I moved away from Sheffield, just to make me jealous, no doubt. 😉 This is one of my favourite pubs in Sheffield, where I have had many good times over the years, and it's great that Brian is back running the pub again after a number of years during which he had leased it to Thornbridge Brewery, because his warm welcome always makes you feel at home (eg visiting last year - blog).

So why the 'congratulations' to Brian then? Well, call me a late messenger, but he won the local CAMRA Central Sheffield Pub of the Year 2024 last year, and more recently I saw in Sheffield CAMRA's Beer Matters July 2025, this year too (Sheffield CAMRA). Nice one Brian! 👍

This has reminded me that I need to visit again very soon, looking forward to seeing you again Brian, and whoever else I bump into, cheers! 🍺

Also, you'll likely have worked out I've been to Sheffield recently, blog soon. 😁

Ey 'up! Back in Sheffield, Again...

As I always do, whenever I visit Sheffield I eat at Mama's and Leonies (website), 111/115 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JE (0114 272 0490), just along the road from the famous, for snooker fans particularly, Crucible Theatre, and around the corner from the Winter Gardens. I've been eating at Mama's since the 1990s, and still many familiar friendly faces working there and pleasant discourse too. It's so good to be remembered, and my favourite Warm Chick & Bacon Salad, without the croutons, and a half carafe of red wine, or a bottle of Budweiser Budvar (website) in this instance, because I was soon meeting up with friends for a few. Always excellent with plenty of healthy stuff on the plate, a great plateful of salad (see below), many thanks folks!

My new regular (mostly) abode for Sheffield visits is The Crow Inn, 33 Scotland Street S3 7BS (website), which reopened 5 years ago after quite a few years closure, and has 7 en suite bedrooms. Sadly, no breakfast provided, but there are some very interesting bar snacks. Importantly, it also sells quite a few interesting ales and crafty keg beers! Open Mon-Wednesday 3pm to 12 midnight; Thurs-Saturday 12 noon to 1am; Sunday 12 noon to 11pm.

This is where I met up with Lindsay and Jeff, sadly, Peter and Will couldn't make it this time, and where I started with, as I tend to now, a pint from Sheffield based Abbeydale Brewery (website) Heathen (4.1%). This is an APA style ale, brewed with Mosaic hops, and dry hopped with Mosaic to make sure you appreciate the taste and aroma! As you'd expect from the hops, notably forest fruits and citrus, providing a bitter dry finish. Another clear pale vegan friendly ale, and on regularly at The Crow, so virtually its 'house ale' and deservedly so, nice one! 

We then moved on to Shakespeare's (facebook), 146-148 Gibraltar Street S3 8UB. This Georgian pub was closed for 18 months from early 2010 and reopened in July 2011, and since winning not a few CAMRA awards. They sell up to 9 real ales, many from local brewers, over 50 bottled beers, and a fair few crafty keg beers. I drank an extra special Abbeydale Brewery (website) Deception (4.1%) at £3.90 a pint. This 'New Zealand Pale Ale' is primarily hopped with Nelson Sauvin, but Amarillo, Chinook, Galaxy and Columbus hops are added too. An excellent pale ale, with citrus, grape and gooseberry in the flavour, refreshing, with a dry bitter finish. Indeed, even more flavour with this beer, as they had dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin this version to celebrate the pub's 10,000th ale, since 2011, I presume!

We then wandered around to the Kelham Island area to the Kelham Island Tavern, or KIT, 62 Russell Street S3 8RW (website). Built in the 1830s, it was a derelict building when Trevor and Lewis took it over, refurbished it, and reopening in 2002, when it soon it became the best real ale pub in the country, indeed, they won the National CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and have won many other awards before and since! Although now retired, I believe Trevor still owns the property, but the licencee is Josh now, and still winning awards. I drank the excellent Blue Bee Brewery (website) American 5 Hop Version 72 (4.3%), each version using different combinations of hops. 

The 72nd version uses Loral, Columbus, Citra, Cascade and Chinook hops from the USA! What can I say? 😁 Very hoppy, big citrus aroma and taste, pale golden, with a dry bitter finish, just as I like my session bitters, very good indeed! 👌

Jeff and I continued on to Shalesmoor, Lindsay having other business, and just after the tram stop is The Wellington (facebook), 1 Henry Street S3 7EQ. Originally built in the 1830s, it became run down during the 20th century, and was refurbished and reopened as a free house in 1993 renamed the Cask & Cutler (as I first remember it, although also called the "Bottom Welly" - the "Top Welly" being at the other end of Infirmary Road). Anyway, it changed hands in 2006 and returned its name to The Wellington, or Cask & Welly as we used to call it. In 2016, the pub was bought by the friendly Canadian, James B (another ex-brewer at the Kelham Island Brewery from quite a few years ago!), who has his own brewery now, Neepsend Brew Co (website). 

So I drank a couple of pints of their rather excellent 'New Zealand Pale Ale' Plancius (4.3%), brewed with 2 varieties of Antipodean hop, Southern Cross and Motueka. Basically, it does what it says, pale dry and bitter, just like me, and I should apologise, unless there was an obvious need to make notes, and I was pretty bad at it by now... Oh yes, and I included a cheese and red onion sandwich in a bread cake, as empty Calories had been entering my system for a few hours, with the first pint, also very tasty, and £4.80 the lot, thank you very much!👍

I then returned to my temporary home (The Crow Inn) after parting company with Jeff, and had a couple more drinks as it was still reasonably early, starting off with the 3.8% session blonde ale Jarl, from Scottish brewery Fyne Ales (website). It's a session ale brewed with Citra hops. what's there not to enjoy? I hadn't had it for quite a while, but still pretty damn good!

I also had a pint of the 4.5% Chop & Change brewed with Centennial hops in West Yorkshire by Vocation Brewery (website). Another pale ale heavy on the citrus, my brief note was "very flavoursome." Good enough for me! 😉

The next day, before going to football, I first had a rather good Hot Breakfast Ciabatta at Mama's and Leonies, I'd tried one on my last visit for breakfast, and it was still superb with bacon and mushrooms filling, great start before drinking ale!👌I had a pint at The Bath Hotel, 66-68 Victoria Street S3 7QL, thankfully back in the warm custodianship of the great man himself, Brian. Indeed, one of my favourite regular haunts when I lived in Sheffield, and I was greeted by the smiling face of Brian as always, and warm handshakes galore, great that he's back!

I had a pint of Derbyshire brewery Thornbridge (website) Jaipur (5.9%), typically brewed with Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanium, Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade hops. I was a wee bit disappointed, wasn't the usual hops in your face, maybe I was unlucky with a bad batch, it wasn't off, so not Brian's problem, it was whatever was in the barrel, anyway, I drank it, a person's gotta do! 😉 I met Noel and Jake at the Beehive in West Street, they wanted to watch the Premiership match on tv there, but no ale, just fizzy stuff! Had to cope with Guinness, oh well...😞

After the match we got split up, but we met up back at the Bath Hotel, where ale was available, of course, and I drank a few pints of an ale from, close by in Derbyshire, Collyfobble Brewery (facebook), their 3.6% T'inna Code Owt brewed with Amarillo hops and called by a Derbyshire colloquialism,  It was a very easy to drink 'Summer Blonde Ale' packed full of tropical and citrus flavours, I stayed on it until we left the pub. 😁

I caught the tram back to Shalesmoor and had another pint at the Wellington, another of their own ales Chupacabra (6.2%), brewed with Simcoe, Amarillo and Lupomax Citra hops; 'Lupomax'?!? I'd never heard of them, but it appears they are a concentrated Citra hop pellet, you learn something new every day. 😏 Billed as a 'West Coast IPA' style, and certainly packed full of fruit and spicy flavours, not bad at all.

I headed back to The Crow Inn and no surprise at all to see a dinosaur enter the pub not long after I got there (above), and this wasn't the result of my drinking too much, honest, but there was a young woman in this costume, all very jolly. I had a pint or two of something before I went to bed of course, and booked a room for my next visit, cheers folks!🍻

For excellent information on hops mentioned please go to hopslist.

2 Rather Good IPAs and a bit more!

I couldn't believe it when I saw this on sale in Morrisons, but a 500ml bottle conditioned Thornbridge (website) Jaipur (5.9%). This superb version of an IPA with many hops from the USA, that are Chinook (hopslist), Centennial (hopslist), Ahtanum (hopslist), Simcoe (hopslist), Columbus (hopslist) and Cascade (hopslist). This is an excellent pale golden ale, with plenty of tropical fruits, grapefruit and citrus in the aroma and taste, with a dry bitter finish. I once had a few pints of a dry hopped cask conditioned version of this at the University Arms in Sheffield, when my old friend Mike Pigeon was the manager there, that was a bit special too, quality! 👍

Easily found at Marks & Spencer is their 4.9% Citra IPA, which is brewed by Oakham Ales (website), in the middle of Oakham's 4.6% bottled Citra and the bigger hitting 6.0% Green Devil, all brewed as single hopped ales, the hop being the excellent Citra, unsurprisingly (hopslist). Anyway, to the 4.9% M&S version, which has a big citrus aroma and taste, and paler than the Jaipur, with a lovely crisp dry bitter finish, very good indeed! Oh yes, and not forgetting... 😉

Have a guess what I was drinking yesterday in the Dolphin Inn in Hastings Old Town, yep, the wonderful session ale that is the  4.2% cask conditioned version of Oakham Citra! Not much to add really, does what it says on the label, and I can't remember it in better form, excellent!  😁

Cheers Ears! 🍻

The Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock a Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3DW (website).

The University Arms, 197 Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HG (website).

Sheffield: 5 Kelham Island and Shalesmoor Pubs

My abode for my latest Sheffield visit, during this week, was again The Crow Inn, 33 Scotland Street S3 7BS (website), which reopened 5 years ago after quite a few years closure, and has 7 en suite bedrooms. Sadly, no breakfast provided, but there are some very interesting bar snacks. Importantly, it also sells quite a few interesting ales and crafty keg beers! Open Mon-Wednesday 3pm to 12 midnight; Thurs-Saturday 12 noon to 1am; Sunday 12 noon to 11pm.

Before I go any further I have to own up to not being a great note taker in my wee book this visit, but I did add notes to photographs I shared on facebook, trust it's adequate. 😉

The first ale I drank here was from Manchester based Marble Brewery (website), their 4.1% Persephone, a pale golden summer ale, brewed with Ariana, Huell Melon, Lemondrop and Mosaic hops. Very crisp, pale clear vegan friendly ale, with a dry bitter finish, very decent indeed.

Because Michael behind the bar said it was nearing its end, and I didn't want to miss it, I had a quick half of North London based Hammerton Brewery (website) City of Cake, a 5.5% 'Choc Fudge Cake Stout.' It pretty much does what it says on its label, hints of coffee and caramel, big chocolate aroma and taste, with fudge indeed, sweetish (DUH!) and very luxurious. 👍

I also had a pint the next day of Sheffield based Abbeydale Brewery (website) Heathen (4.1%), an APA style ale, brewed with Mosaic hops, and dry hopped with Mosaic to make sure you appreciate the taste and aroma! As you'd expect from the hops, notably forest fruits and citrus, providing a bitter dry finish. Another clear pale vegan friendly ale, and on regularly at The Crow, so virtually its 'house ale' and deservedly so, nice one! 

Again, both days I visited Shakespeare's (facebook), 146-148 Gibraltar Street S3 8UB, which, as you can see from the photograph above, used to be a Ward's pub when I lived in Sheffield in the 1990s. This Georgian pub was closed for 18 months from early 2010 (previously, Jeff, Lindsay and I had helped them finish off their array of rums!), refurbished, and reopened in July 2011, and since winning CAMRA awards too. They sell up to 9 real ales, many from local brewers, over 50 bottled beers, and a fair few crafty keg beers. I drank here with Peter, who works at Blue Bee Brewery (website), and a friend for many years, the first visit, then with long time friends Jeff and Lindsay again the next day; we followed a similar route. 😁

The first day I drank, from Sheffield based Fuggle Bunny Brew House (website), their 4.0% Cotton Tail. This is a pale ale with citrus aroma and taste, they say with lychees in the aroma, but I wouldn't know about that 😉 and apparently brewed with 5 varieties of hop, which they keep to themselves, but probably includes Citra hops, I'm guessing, because of the lychee. Easy to drink, sweetish, with a slightly bitter finish.

Then I drank, from nearby Little Critters Brewing Company (website), a brewery from which I've drunk excellent ales from as far south as Hastings, their 4.4% Luna's Peach Pale Ale. Indeed, plenty of peach, so I'm guessing peach extract, fruits, or flavouring of some sort involved, the website suggests orange zest added too, but definitely states Centennial and Amarillo are the hops used. I have to admit that the peach was a bit too much for me, I should have had a half, but Little Critters do brew excellent pale bitter ales, looking forward to my next one...

I met Jeff and Lindsay here on my second day, and I drank 2 pints of Abbeydale Brewery (website) Deception (4.1%). This 'New Zealand Pale Ale' is primarily hopped with Nelson Sauvin, but Amarillo, Chinook, Galaxy and Columbus hops are added too. An excellent pale ale, with citrus, grape and gooseberry  in the flavour, refreshing, with a dry bitter finish. 👌

On both days, we wandered around to Kelham Island (Jeff and Lindsay in the photograph above), to the Kelham Island Tavern, or KIT, many of us still use the term KitCat when going to drink at the Fat Cat (below) as well as the KIT. 😉 Anyway, the Kelham Island Tavern, 62 Russell Street S3 8RW (website). Built in the 1830s, it was a derelict building when Trevor and Lewis took it over, refurbished it, reopening in 2002, and it became the best real ale pub in the country, indeed, they won the National CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and have won many other awards before and since! Although now retired, I believe Trevor still owns the property, but now the licencee is Josh, I believe, and still winning awards.

Because it's new to me, and a bit exciting I found out, and Peter and Josh (from pub and brewery!) brew it, I had to go for the locally based Blue Bee Brewery (website) their dual hopped Citra Nectaron IPA (6.0%). And a BIG fruity extravaganza it is! Citrus from the Citra hops, goes without saying, tropical fruit from the New Zealand Nectaron hops, including a hint of pineapple, and forest fruits from both. Together with the strength, this made it a pretty special ale indeed, plenty of body, full of aroma and taste, and dry bitter finish, quality!

On both days I drank the Blue Bee Brewery (website) American 5 Hop Version 70 (4.3%), that is the 70th version, this time using El Dorado, Mosaic, Columbus, Simcoe and Chinook hops from the USA! What would you expect me to say? 😁 Very hoppy, big citrus aroma and taste, pale golden, with a dry bitter finish, just as I like my session bitters, very good indeed! 

Anyone would think the Kelham Island Tavern is the Blue Bee brewery tap. 😉

On the first day Peter and I wandered around the corner to The Fat Cat (website), 23 Alma Street S3 8SA, and people familiar with this blog, or who know me personally, will know that when I was a post-grad student I worked at the associated brewery (just beyond and to the right in the photograph above), Kelham Island Brewery. The pub was an original in Sheffield, virtually throughout the country for that matter, when it was bought as the Alma in 1981 by Dave Wickett and his colleague Bruce to provide an alternative to the big brewers, and providing an outlet for independent brewers. After separating their business interests, Dave continued with the pub and set up the microbrewery, in a shed behind the pub at that time (now bigger, and seen above), in 1990. Now the brewery is no longer in use, but more recently, a group of lads bought the name and are brewing separately at Thornbridge Brewery (website).

I didn't take any notes here, but was a bit disappointed with the ale, so will leave my review of The Fat Cat for now, until my next visit. Worth a visit though! 👍

On the second day, Jeff, Lindsay and I continued on to Shalesmoor, and just after the tram stop is The Wellington (facebook), 1 Henry Street S3 7EQ. Originally built in the 1830s, it became run down during the 20th century, and was refurbished and reopened as a free house in 1993 renamed the Cask & Cutler (as I first remember it, although also called the "Bottom Welly" - the "Top Welly" was at the other end of Infirmary Road). Anyway, it changed hands in 2006 and returned its name to The Wellington, or Cask & Welly as we used to call it. In 2016, the pub was bought by the friendly Canadian, James B (another ex-brewer at the Kelham Island Brewery from quite a few years ago!), who has his own brewery now, Neepsend Brew Co (website). 

The Neepsend ales are very good, but I do particularly like Huddersfield based Mallinsons Brewing Company (website), indeed, they are among my top favourite brewers in the country. Anyway, I had a couple of pints of their 4.0% Town of Surfside, an American Pale Ale in style, although I can't find out which hops were used, I won't even guess which variety because they use many different varieties of hop from the USA in their ales! Whatever, I enjoyed it immensely, thus the 2 pints, pale,dry and bitter! 👍

Apologies for not photographing the Welly on this occasion.

OK, for me it's an institution that, whenever I visit Sheffield, I visit Mama's and Leonies at least once, twice this time (website), which is situated at 111/115 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JE (0114 272 0490), just down the road from the famous, for snooker fans particularly, Crucible Theatre, and around the corner from the Winter Gardens. I've been eating at Mama's since the 1990s, so I can see no reason why I should change that 'institution' now. Anyway, still many familiar friendly faces working there and pleasant discourse shared with Tracy and others, it's great to be remembered, and my favourite Warm Chick & Bacon Salad, without the croutons, and a half carafe of red wine of course. Always excellent, plenty of healthy stuff on the plate, mucho salad, and never fails to please me, well sated, nice one Kath, John and team, cheers m'dears!

For more information on hops mentioned please go to hopslist.

Sheffield Revisited, 9 Months Later!

Although I didn't actually visit until the day I left, waiting for my train (and I was drinking Monday to Wednesday this visit, not necessarily in this order, but this is a reasonably logical circular walk), I visited the Sheffield Tap (website), which I have written about in more detail before (blog). This bar, and 4 Brewers-Barrel sized microbrewery (Tapped Brew Company), is situated on platform 1 of Sheffield Railway Station in an old tastefully refurbished Dining Room.

I had enough time for a pint of Tapped Brew Electric Works (4.2%), an 'extra pale ale' brewed with extra pale malt, and Mosaic (hopslist) and HBC 431 hops (Yakima Valley Hops), and with hops like those used, you would expect plenty of citrus and tropical fruit flavours... And you wouldn't be wrong! Packed with fruity aroma and taste, nice and clear and very pale, and a nice dry bitter finish, one of my favourite ales of the trip, at the death! 😁

Although it was the next day I visited, as it's closed on Mondays, but Mama's and Leonies, 111-115 Norfolk Street S1 2JE (website) is my favourite place to eat at in Sheffield; I've been eating here since the 1990s! Plus I always see friendly faces, Tracey's smile as I came through the door and friendly discourse, updates really, chatting with Kath and John (proprietors) and chatting with Jason, the head chef, who knew exactly what I wanted to eat, indeed, what I eat here 99% of the time, a Warm Chicken & Bacon Salad, quality! Nice to be remembered 👍

So, heading to the Kelham Island area, and The Fat Cat, 23 Alma Street S3 8SA (website), in front of what used to be Kelham Island Brewery, where I worked quite a bit when I was a postgraduate student in Sheffield. Here I met another familiar face, Dianne, who only works here a couple of days a week now, so lucky for me, nice blether. Oh yes, and I've written about the re-birth of Pale Rider recently (blog), so I was very excited to drink the latest version, but I was a bit disappointed... OK, it's drinkable, but nothing like the ale that I have brewed personally in the past, unsurprisingly really, as different hops are used now (blog), and it was cloudy! Now it's become a bit trendy to not use finings for vegan friendly beers, but I think it's a wee bit lazy, perfectly clear vegan ales can be brewed easily enough, more later... I was disappointed.

Just around the corner is the Kelham Island Tavern, 62 Russell Street S3 8RW (website), another pub I know very well, which has been CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2 years running in the past, and I have written about visits here quite often, and which sells a dozen or so ales of various types, plus crafty kegs galore! The proprietor Josh, is also the man behind Blue Bee Brewery (website), more below when I spent a few hours touring and drinking with his colleague, and an old friend of mine, Pete, who I first met well before his brewing career began. Whilst at the KIT also met, completely coincidentally, with long-term friends Bob and Marie, lovely surprise!

So, to Blue Bee American Five Hop #63, their 63rd version of this ale, which I seem to remember Pete telling me the constant in the 5 hops used is Columbus (also known as Tomahawk - hopslist), and this version including Vista (Yakima Valley Hops), Chinook (hopslist), Simcoe (hopslist) and Citra (hopslist). I've had a few versions of this 4.3% ale now, and haven't had anything but excellent pale, crystal clear, and citrusy ales with a great dry bitter finish, and this was no exception, nice one, cheers!

Oh yes, and the very local Blue Bee Brewery (website) has a 10 Brewers-Barrell kit (360 gallons), and we had a great chat about their beers. Always crystal clear and vegan friendly too, due to not using isinglass finings (what vegans don't like), but using Finings Adjunct (Murphy & Son), which is usually used together with isinglass, but alone, is vegan friendly. I wish that many other brewers took note, not everyone is a trendy thick 'soup style' beer drinker!

Then, not too far away, indeed, across a main road and around another corner, and you reach Shakespeare's, 146-148 Gibraltar Street S3 8UB (facebook), again, with plenty of cask ales available. Of which we went for the promising sounding U.S. Triple Hop (4.0%) from Stockport based Chadkirk Brew Co (website), brewed, in this instance, with Centennial (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist) and Simcoe hops (hopslist). I was surprised that there wasn't more flavour, pale dry finish, a bit thin, but I have seen online that they also brew many versions with different 3 hops used, it would be interesting to try another version.

We ended our 'crawl' on Monday at The Wellington, 1 Henry Street S3 7EQ (facebook), at nearby Shalesmoor, which has its own local microbrewery Neepsend Brew Co (website). Of course I had to try their 'American Pale Ale' Rougarou (5.2%), brewed with El Dorado (hopslist), Citra (hopslist) and Mosaic hops (hopslist). I enjoyed it, as I should with the hops used, it is what has become a traditional style of APA, but I wrote no notes, 'twas late! 😉

Pete and I actually met at The Crow Inn, 33 Scotland Street S3 7BS (website), which is across the road from Shakespeares, and at the top of a side street, a little closer to the city centre, and where I stayed for the two nights. I had a few different ales here, the first when I met Pete, and a couple later on the second night, on my return from my wandering. This first one was brewed by Bristol Beer Factory (BBF - website), their 4.6% Independence 'US Pale' brewed with Citra (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist) and Amarillo hops (hopslist). I was again disappointed with a drink that had a consistency similar to orange juice 'with bits' but with plenty of fruity aroma and taste.

The second night I also had 2 very good beers at the Crow, the first one from Abbeydale Brewery (website), which I seem to remember is now the biggest brewer in Sheffield, although I can't find out the size of its kit, but it has to be at least 30 Brewers Barrels. Anyway, and I've had it before, a nice pale dry and bitter 4.1% ale, brewed with hops from the USA, called Heathen. It is very pleasant. But I finished the night with a very interesting darker beer from Atom Beers of Hull (website), their 5.8% raspberry porter Positive Charge. Fruity, but not as much as I had expected, indeed, I got rich dark flavours, including liquorice and chocolate too, nice and smooth, with plenty of body as you'd expect, and pretty damn good!

The second day, and this is still following a circular-ish walk, slightly closer to the city centre, I met up with Jeff (sadly, Lindsay had dental issues that prevented his arrival this time) at the Perch Brewhouse, 44 Garden Street S1 4BJ (facebook), which opened at 16.00. I had a couple of their own beers; Dead Parrot Beer Company (twitter), first their 4.0% pale ale Sketch, brewed with Aurora (hopslist) and Citra hops (hopslist). This was very pale, dry and bitter, almost sour, and cloudy, yet another vegan brewer unhappy to brew clear ale. The second one was obviously cloudy too, their 4.2% blonde beer Aspect, brewed with Simcoe (hopslist) and Challenger hops (hopslist). After the first, this tasted quite sweet and fruity, drinkable.

We then headed into the city centre to The Bath Hotel, 66-68 Victoria Street S3 7QL, with the return of Brian as licensee following a few years of Thornbridge running the pub. Brian is always great company, and we'd arranged to meet Will too. Plenty of banter shared, and a few pints, including from Derbyshire brewer Thornbridge (website) their Jaipur (5.9%). Strong American style IPA (APA), plenty of hops, the last time I discovered the 6 hops used (blog) they included Ahtanum (hopslist), Cascade (hopslist), Centennial (hopslist), Chinook (hopslist), Columbus (hopslist) and Simcoe hops (hopslist). Always plenty of flavour, as you'd expect with the strength and hops used, easy to get carried away when imbibing, in more ways than one! 😉

OK, returning here for me was on the third day, on my way back to the railway station, indeed, I again popped into Mama's and Leonies (website) where I had my breakfast, a rather substantial Hot Breakfast Ciabatta, and a couple of coffees. Virtually the same people I talked to yesterday, excepting John, and then back to the railway station, a Sheffield Circular Route completed.

See above for details of my final pint in Sheffield, but I'll be back, cheers! 😁

PS. I'm concerned about this trend to not use finings... 😒

Pale Rider back at the Fat Cat very soon!

OK, I have been going on about this quite a bit lately, but no surprise really, I was in Sheffield last week, used to work at Kelham Island Brewery (website) when I was a postgrad student studying and living in Sheffield, have brewed, delivered and drunk Pale Rider, indeed I lived in Sheffield for 16 years and still return regularly! So it is a big thing to me, and for many others no doubt, that Pale Rider (5.2%) will be on sale again from next Wednesday the 19th of October 2022 at The Fat Cat, 23 Alma Street, Sheffield S3 8SA (KIB facebook), nice one, cheers! 🍺

Autumnal Sheffield Day 2

After a morning walk, and before heading off for lunch, I visited 2 pubs where I used to be sure I would meet someone I knew, staff and customers, the KitCat that is. First the Kelham Island Tavern, 62 Russell Street S3 8RW (website). Built in the 1830s, the Kit was a derelict building when Trevor and Lewis took it over, refurbished it, and reopened it in 2002, and it became the 'best real ale pub' in the country. Indeed, they won the National CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and have won many other awards before and since! Although now retired, I believe Trevor still owns the property, but now managed by others, and still winning awards.

I wasn't that surprised not to know any of the regulars present when I walked in, nor the barman, as it's been a few years since I lived in Sheffield.  Anyway, I was there for a pint, so had a great ale from the local Blue Bee Brewery (website), their Triple Hop (4.3%), brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Ekuanot hops. It was hoppy, with a citrus aroma and taste, pale golden, with a very dry and bitter finish, great stuff! Indeed, when I was here earlier this year (blog) I had their American 5 Hop Version 53 (4.3%), hard to go wrong with Blue Bee Brewery! 

Just around the corner, and the second pub was the Cat, or The Fat Cat (website), 23 Alma Street S3 8SA. The pub was an original in Sheffield when it was bought as the Alma in 1981 by Dave Wicket and his business partner Bruce to provide an alternative to the big brewers, providing an outlet for independent brewers. After separating their business interests, Dave continued with the pub and set up a microbrewery in a shed behind the pub in 1990, Kelham Island Brewery (see my blog from yesterday). I didn't see anyone I know there either, not staff or customer, though I believe Di still works there and looks after the cellar.

However, I did have a good chat with the barmaid, a very friendly young woman from Ukraine, good English, and probably happy to improve her spoken English and expand her vocabulary too. Anyway, no Kelham Island ales here yet, so I had a pint from a small Sheffield microbrewer, Grizzly Grains (facebook), their 4.0% Pacifica, a New Zealand Pale Ale, yes, using Pacifica hops (also called Pacifica Hallertau), did what it says, I imagine, but I wasn't too impressed, and was too busy chatting to make any notes, sorry! 😕

I did then eat at Mama's & Leonies again (see my last blog), with the same staff make-up and excellent warm chicken and bacon salad, before meeting up with a couple of great mates, Jeff Macdonut and Lindsay, at the newish Perch Brewhouse, 44 Garden Street SE1 4BJ (facebook). Plenty of blether, of course, and ale too, oh yes, and they have an impressive selection of Belgian beers in one of their fridges. But to their ales, and their brewery is called the Dead Parrot Brew Company, 2 of whose ales I had a pint of:

I had a pint of their very easy to drink Clement, a 3.9% session Blonde ale, brewed with Aurora and Simcoe hops, not bad at all. But their 4.8% Ashen was something else, pretty damn good! Unsurprisingly, with more body and flavour from the hops used, Aurora again, but with Centennial hops too, I must return for more of this when next in Sheffield.

The 3 of us then walked up to meet Will at The Bath Hotel (whatpub - couldn't find a website), 66-68 Victoria Street S3 7QL, my second visit in 2 days and another great welcome from Brian. Obviously more friendly discourse was shared, and more Thornbridge (website) Jaipur (5.9%) imbibed by me, Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade. I'm rarely disappointed by this pale, dry, hoppy bitter, quality!

We parted ways with Jeff and Lindsay, and Will, who is more into traditional bitters, not so much pale hoppy bitters, then suggested we visit 2 more pubs to his liking, and 2 pubs that I did used to visit when I lived in Sheffield, notably to watch football on tv. Anyway, the first one was The Grapes, 80 Trippet Lane S1 4EN (website). I didn't make notes of my drinking at either of these 2 pubs, both well known for Guinness, so I obviously knocked back an easy drinking traditional bitter of some sort, cheers Will! 

The second pub Will and I visited was the nearby Dog & Partridge, 56 Trippet Lane S1 4EL (facebook), where we drank beer of some sort. 😉 Afterwards I returned to my temporary abode at The Crow Inn (see previous blog), where, coincidentally, Dave Szwejkowski, aka Dave Unpronounceable (guest blog), was drinking at the bar, small world, good night and cheers!

Incidentally, The Crow Inn is the Sheffield CAMRA Pub of the Month for October, and had been nominated by Dave Szwejkowski, great stuff, congratulations!