THIS IS SHEFFIELD'S

GUIDE TO SHEFFIELD BREWERIES
MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND SHEFFIELD'S REAL ALE AND CRAFT BEER.​

Discover why Sheffield beer is loved around the world. Sheffield breweries are renowned from their award-winning real ale and craft beer.

In 2016 Sheffield was crowned the Real Ale Capital of the World based on the proportion of breweries to the number of people in the city. 

A lot can change since then, especially when it comes to beer. Sheffield breweries have continued to evolve, they are still smashing out award winning ‘real ale’ (beers on cask) but they are also pushing forward and experimenting. 

‘Craft beer’ has gone from a trend to part of the establishment, it’s rare to walk into a pub in Sheffield without a keg line pouring cold, fizzy, flavoursome beer out of the taps. 

Although the pale ales grab the headlines, exciting and experimental sours and stouts are equally important and there’s some breweries in the Steel City brewing some great ones.

Wards and Stones might have gone (well, maybe not, we’ll come on to that later) but there’s some established breweries who’ve evolved with the times as well as new micro–breweries pushing boundaries. 

Many of our breweries also own pubs in the city so you’re guaranteed something local in pretty much every boozer you step into. We also love to support our independent breweries with events such as CAMRA’s Steel City Beer & Cider Festival which takes place at Kelham Island Museum in October as well as Sheffield Beer Week across the city which kicks off with the Indie Beer Feast at the Abbeydale Picture House.

Kelham Island Brewery

Kelham Island Brewery is Sheffield’s longest serving brewery. It’s been kicking about since 1990 when Fat Cat founder Dave Wickett began brewing in the pub beer garden (the first new brewery in Sheffield for almost 100 years). Since then the brewery has become established in the beer scene, not only for Sheffield but around the world.

Their iconic and award winning Pale Rider has influenced many breweries whilst lots of brewers have passed through Kelham Island Brewery and gone on to the likes of Thornbridge and BrewDog. Although Kelham Island Brewery are known for their real ale they have started to dip into the craft beer scene as they have began brewing beers for keg.

If you’re looking for the full Kelham Island Brewery experience head to The Fat Cat (next door to the brewery (tours are available) and the brewery shop) where you’ll find many of their beers on tap. You’ll also find them in pubs all over Sheffield too.

Check out the Kelham Island Brewery website here.

Abbeydale Brewery

If we’re talking established breweries we also have to talk Abbeydale Brewery who’ve been knocking out classics since 1996 and successfully transitioned with the times without forgetting about day-oners.

Beer is a generational thing and Abbeydale Brewery’s core range highlights that. The innovative brewery aren’t scared to experiment (the Funk Dungeon range is constantly blowing tastebuds) but they put the same enthusiasm into execute their traditional beers. 

Over the years Abbeydale Brewery have grown steadily to deal with demand. They currently have the capacity to brew 15 different beers at anyone time, ensuring that their core range is always available whilst have the ability to brew specials, collabs and grow the Funk Dungeon collection. 

Moonshine is what the brewery is best known for, the traditional pale has been brewed for cask since ’96 and is responsible for 50% of the breweries sales. During lockdown they canned Moonshine for the very first time so people could enjoy the beer at home when the pubs were shut. The move was so successful that the initial batch sold out!

It’s rare that you step in a Sheffield pub and not see an Abbeydale Brewery beer on cask, keg or in a can.

Head to The Rising Sun if you want to taste your way through the range.

Heathen is a craft beer favourite and if you fancy a lager Heresy is an award winner. For those who love to challenge their palate the Funk Dungeon collection is a risk worth taking.

Check out the Abbeydale Brewery website here.

st-mars

Sheffield’s beer scene is constantly evolving with new and exciting influences coming in. One of those has to be The Brewery of Saint Mars of the Desert based in Attercliffe.

The husband and wife run brewery quickly gained a reputation since moving from Boston, America to an industrial estate in Sheffield in 2018. They haven’t stopped winning plaudits since! Rate Beer included them in the top 10 best new breweries in the world in February 2020 as well as South Yorkshire’s highest rated breweries and Clamp, their New England IPA was crowned South Yorkshire’s best beer.

It isn’t just Clamp that is award-worthy, every beer they have brewed so far has been special. They brew for keg and cans, neither last long as they are quickly snapped up. The micro-brewery has a limited capacity and they are always churning out new beers that are at the highest quality and don’t stick with traditions. 

Another reason to love these guys is their quaint taproom. You’d think being based out in Attercliffe would put people of going but it’s well worth the visit. Located in the middle of an industrial estate you’ll find their little bar with as many of their beers that are available at the time. 

Check out the SMOD website here.

neepsend brew

Another exciting brewery is Neepsend Brew Co. based in… Neepsend (everyone says Kelham though).

This is another two-person run brewery who’ve recently relocated across the road to 92 Burton Road (where you’ll find Peddler, Kelham Arcade, Depot Bakery & Nether Edge Pizza). They are next door to Factory Floor Bar where they have two of their beers in tanks on the bar, which come from the brewery, you’ll struggle to find beer taste any fresher!

The brewery has been going since 2015 and they’ve been quietly going about their business constantly brewing something new for cask, keg and now can.

Up until 2020 the brewery only had one core beer, their blonde, a flawless pale on cask, allowing them to experiment with new ingredients and styles. The majority of their beers are pales for cask but they regularly brew sours, stouts and porters too whilst their keg range is expanding.  

Alcis is Neepsend’s second addition to their core range and a nod to the direction that the brewery is taking. The beer, available on keg (and Factory Floor’s tank) and can is a hoppy session pale full of flavour. 

Factory Floor Bar might be the place where you can taste their beer at its freshest but the brewery also owns The Wellington, The Sheaf View and The Blake Hotel who always have a selection of their ever changing beers on the bar whilst Roscoe Road Liquor Store (next door to The Wellington sell all of their canned beers).

Check out the on Neepsend Brew Co. website here.

Sheffield Brewery Co.

Across the road from Neepsend Brew Co. is the Sheffield Brewery Co. which has been brewing since 2006.

The brewery didn’t get off to the best start as they were hugely affected by the 2007 flood. Since recovering the brewery has grown and grown, particularly in recent years.

Located in the historic Albyn Works, the brewery is a traditional one who are producing forward thinking beers. Their award-winning core range include real ales, fruity crafts, porters and stouts. These, alongside an ever changing line-up of collabs and specials are available on cask, keg and in bottles.

You’ll always find the beers on at The Gardeners Rest as well as pubs around the city but it’s their onsite tap bar where you’ll really get a taste for what they do.

Check out the Sheffield Brewery Co. website here.

Sheffield Tap

Looking for an easy access tap? Look no further than the Sheffield Tap, based at the Sheffield train station, home of Tapped Brew Co.

They’ve been brewing within the train station since 2013 and if you pop into the pub you can not only enjoy their beers on the bar, you can have a nosey around too as the brewery is on display!

Their beers are all crowd pleases with golden ales, pales, stouts and porters on the go.

Check out the Tapped Brew Co. website here.

triple point

Triple Point Brewing, based in walking distance of the train station and Sheffield United’s football ground.

This is another brewery with an onsite bar so you can enjoy a freshly brewed pint whilst more beers being brewed are on display. 

Triple Point launched in 2018, a father and son took over the brewery from Sentinel who had just announced its closure. It didn’t take long for Triple Point Brewing to get up and running with their craft beers taking home awards within their first year.

They are one of the few breweries whose core-range focus’ on craft lagers and pilsners but they also do American pales too.

What pairs perfectly with beer? Burgers! And they’ve got Twisted Burger Co. on site!

Check out the Triple Point Brewing website here.

Riverside Kelham

You might know True North Brew Co better for their venues (The Forum, The Old House, The Broadfield, Riverside Kelham, The York etc…) than you do their beer but if you’ve drank their, you’ve probably drank their beer, which has been brewed since 2012, 20 years. after The Forum opened.

From 2012 True North brewed their beers over at Welbeck Abbey Brewery and Stancil Brewery before opening up their own brewery next door to The Forum in 2016 when they changed their name from Forum Cafe Bars Ltd to True North Brew Co.

In September 2020 True North brought back a Sheffield classic, Stone’s Bitter. The beer was the biggest selling bitter in UK in the 60’s and 70’s and True North have been able to replicate that familiar taste using a traditional cask recipe and the same ingredients that Stones used. Stones Bitter was more than just a beer for those who drank it back in the day, a firm favourite for steel workers who headed to the pub after a long and tiring shift. It included extra minerals to replenish those that had been lost at work.

The rebirth of Stones Bitter is exclusively available in True North venues and the first batch was drank up quickly.

Along with a dozen well established venues and a range of much loved beers, True North also have their own gin, coffee and vodka.

You’ll find True North beers in their venues, other pubs in Sheffield and the True North Store in the Forum.

Check out the True North Brew Co website here.

Beer

The Brew Foundation is another father/son ran brewery and ok, they aren’t technically a Sheffield brewery as they brew in Cheshire but they are based in the Steel City, have two tap rooms here and their beer can be found on cask, keg, in cans and bottles in Sheffield. 

After many years of wanting, James and his dad  finally started brewing and selling beer in late 2015. Their first beer, First Light was a huge success, selling out instantly in Sheffield and The Brew Foundation haven’t stopped since!

They’ve done bitters, pales for cask and keg, porters, lagers and gluten free pales, they continue to experiment with new ingredients, flavours and styles. 

You can regularly find The Brew Foundation across the city but their tap rooms, Ecclesall Ale Club and Fulwood Ale Club are micro-pubs full of character and great beer.

Check out the The Brew Foundation website here.

Heist

Heist Brew Co. isn’t for the faint hearted. Dan and Adam launched the brewery in 2018 where they’ve been brewing experimental beers ever since.

After travelling the globe visiting different breweries as part of their bar operation and previous export business the passion moved from just selling beer to making it as well. Collaborating with breweries in the UK, Europe and the US Heist have built a brand that has moved from its small premises in Derbyshire to an old fabricators building in Neepsend, which houses a larger brewery space, 2 bars (30 beers!), arcade games, donuts and a burger joint, bringing with them a feel of that US taproom.

Check out the Heist Brew Co. website here.

Lost Industry

If you are unlucky enough to have a pal who says “beer isn’t for themLost Industry Brewing might be their gateway. Since 2015 the family business have been pushing the boundaries with experimental beers most brewers wouldn’t even dream of thinking up.

They mostly brew sours which aren’t for everybody but if you can sink one then this is the brewery for you. For such a small brewery they have a remarkably large reach with their beers being sold throughout Europe. The brewery are ahead of the game in ideas but often source ingredients as close to home as their garden, often foraging fruit for that punchy flavour which make them stand out. 

Lost Industry don’t have a core range, allowing them to play with ingredients despite being such a small brewery. That doesn’t mean you won’t see the same beer again, they do like to bring back favourites such as the Mojito and Strawberry Daiquiri.  

Check out the Lost Industry Brewing website here.

Beer

If there is rules in the beer game, Steel City Brewing don’t play by them.

The cuckoo brewery (a brewery who brews at another breweries brewery) not only work with other breweries equipment they often collab with other (usually local) breweries too. 

They’ve been a free spirit in the brewery community since 2010, bouncing from brewery-to-brewery, knocking out great beers that don’t need hype or fanfare, it’s all in the flavour. 

Steel City don’t have a website, or a Facebook page but they do have a Facebook group here, you can also follow them on Twitter.

Blue Bee Brewery

For those familiar with Sheffield’s cask beers, you’ve probably become a fan of Blue Bee Brewery who nail it every time.

Their core range, which include a blonde, a pale, a bitter and a stout can be found in many real ale pubs in Sheffield whilst their specials give brewer Josh the opportunity to gamble on something a little different.

Brewed in Neepsend, just a short trip from the Kelham Island Tavern, the pub they now call home. Blue Bee have established themselves for the past 10 years and continue to evolve.

Check out the Blue Bee Brewery website here.

Exit 33

Exit 33 is another brewery ran by a Kelham Island pub, this one by The Harlequin

Starting out in 2008 as The Brew Company before a name change in 2014 to Sky’s Edge Brewing following a new location and change in direction, the end of 2014 saw them change their name for a 3rd time to Exit 33 Brewing but they’ve continued to produce great beers, available at The Harlequin and other boozers in the city.

The Exit 33 website is out of action, head here for some Tweets instead.

Stancill Brewery

Stancill Brewery was born out of the closure of Barnsley’s Oakwell Brewery in 2013, who’d been in action for 120 years. 

A couple of Barnsley Bitter fans, Tom and Adam didn’t want to see their favourite tipple go so they got hold of Oakwell’s equipment, moved it to Neepsend, launched Stancill Brewery and recreated the bitter.

In January 2014 the iconic Barnsley Bitter was back in pubs and became the first in the breweries core range, eight other beers have joined it in the range. The Sheffield Pilsner followed, however a tweak in the recipe saw a rebirth as Stancill Lager, the first lager to be brewed in the Steel City.

Finding a Stancill Brewery beer in Sheffield isn’t that hard, they supply to many pubs, they also have 3 pubs. Horse & JockeyThe Albion and, The Closed Shop all serve up Stancill beers on tap.

Stancill Brewery saved Oakwell to ensure the heritage of brewing isn’t lost but they aren’t stuck in the past, always willing to push forward with creative specials.

Check out the Stancill Brewery website here.

Little Critters

Little Critters Brewing Co are another brewery brewing from Neepsend.They started out as pub owners, first Fox and Duck in 2012, followed by The Doctor’s Orders in 2014.

After experimenting with home brewing they got their own premises in 2015 and the micro-brewery haven’t stopped since making traditional beers since. 

Their award winning beers can be found at The Doctor’s Orders and other pubs in Sheffield. 

Check out the Little Critters Brewing Co website here.

crosspool

Crosspool Ale Makers Society launch in 2019, formerly known as Hopscotch. The brewery is so small that they don’t even class themselves as a micro-brewery, instead they are a nano-brewery.

The one-man-band has full control over everything, allowing him the freedom to brew the beers he’d drink, luckily other people want to drink them too. Mark loves to experiment, especially with local ingredients. You can try 4 Crosspool Ale Makers Society beers on tap at Beer Dog bottle shop, near Bramall Lane.

Check out the Crosspool Ale Makers Society Facebook page here.

loxley brewery

Loxley Brewery launched in 2018, brewing traditional real ale for cask and bottles in Loxley but the journey began in 2015 with The Wisewood Inn

In 2017, pub owner Stephen built an on-site brewery underneath the pub and began brewing real ales.

The beers are available at The Wisewood Inn and their second pub, The Raven Inn. They plan to brew craft beers and lagers, however they have already started brewing their cask beers from their core range for keg. 

Check out the Loxley Brewery website here.

grizzly

Grizzly Grains Brewing are a small batch brewery who started brewing at home in 2019 before getting a small brewing suitable for selling to the public at the beginning of 2020, just before COVID-19 caused lockdown.

Since then they have been creating, collabing and experimenting to create beers enjoyed in Sheffield, available from tap and bottles.

Check out Grizzly Grains Brewing website here.

Regther Brewery is part of Regather, a co-operative that also offers organic veg boxes and a venue/bar suitable for live music and events.

The on-site brewery has been brewing beers using natural local ingredients since 2014. 

Check out the Regather Brewery website here.

Little Mesters Brewing are Sheffield’s latest brewery. Established in 2020, based in Meadowhead, brewery next door to Mitchell’s Wine Merchants

Check out the Little Mesters Brewing website here.

Now you know about the makers, it’s time to get drinking. Check out our Guide to Sheffield’s independent pubs, Tap Room guide and Bottle Shop guide.

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