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Pictures: The Sheffield Tap and bottled beers from Sheffield
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Sheffield is the real ale capital of the world and can also stake a claim to being the birthplace of the UK craft beer revolution, according to a new report commissioned by the University of Sheffield.
A Snapshot of the Beer Industry in the Sheffield City Region, written by beer writer Pete Brown, found that the Sheffield city region has a booming beer trade of 57 breweries, 31 of which have opened in the last five years alone.
Forty per cent (23) are within the city of Sheffield itself which, the report says, “makes Sheffield a significant brewing city by any measure”.
The study found the city of Sheffield has one brewery for every 23,991 people and the Sheffield city region has one brewery for every 32,142 people. Compared to Greater London (one brewery for every 112,355), Sheffield has 4.7 times as many breweries per capita.
What’s more, while growth has peaked in other cities, the number of breweries opening their doors in Sheffield is accelerating and could soon surpass its mid-19th century peak.
The report also commented on the wide array of beers available, with every Sheffield brewer brewing an average of five beers on a permanent basis and around 11 seasonal, occasional or one-off beers every year. This means 1,000 different beers are produced by Sheffield’s brewers every year.
“With such a dynamic brewing sector, in the middle of a global boom in interest in well-made, flavourful beer, we should expect Sheffield to have a national or even international reputation as a premier beer city,” says the report. “And yet it doesn’t.”
Sheffield has always had a proud history of beer. Small but numerous breweries formed during the industrial revolution, providing refreshment to men in factories, forges and furnaces.
The report, which is based on data and interviews with brewers, publicans, retailers and others close to the beer scene in Sheffield, calls on the city to promote its beer and pub scene and compete for the title of the world’s greatest beer city.
Pete Brown said: “Sheffield, having pioneered the beer revolution now taking place across Britain, is in danger of being eclipsed in other cities, especially in the realm of craft beer.”
The report said there was a ‘significant gap’ between the reality of how strong and vibrant the beer scene is in Sheffield, and the perception and promotion of it.
Professor Vanessa Toulmin, director of city and cultural engagement at the University of Sheffield, said: “Sheffield has always been a city of makers — and it’s no surprise that this extends to beer too. It’s great that we love our beer so much, but most of it stays in the city region, so people outside Sheffield don’t get to hear about it. A joint investment in a canning and bottling facility, as the report recommends, would bring Sheffield beer to a much wider audience.”
Beer tourism is big business and already contributes significantly to Sheffield’s economy. According to Andy Cullen, chairman of Sheffield & District CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), beer tourists visiting the city’s pubs and festivals already generate more income to the region than the annual two-week World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre.
The report points out that most of Sheffield’s brewers operate on a small scale, much like the ‘Little Mesters’ craftsmen of old. Joint investment in both physical facilities and a dedicated online resource, linked to from any Sheffield tourism site, would allow brewers to sell further afield and help to build Sheffield’s reputation as a beer city.
“Look at Munich, Bruges, Portland, London, and you’ll see that Sheffield has at least as much right as any of them to compete for the title of the world’s greatest beer city,” says the report.
“The benefits of doing so to Sheffield’s hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, pubs and cafés, not to mention the city’s image more generally, would be significant indeed.”
Professor Toulmin added: “Beer and pubs are the cultural glue that holds the city together — supporting the arts and communities to thrive by hosting events in back rooms and creating special festival ales. It’s the city’s turn to shout about our beer credentials and put Sheffield on the map as a destination for beer-lovers to rival Bruges and Munich.”
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