You may remember that back in autumn 2023, we were privileged to be invited to take part in Collabageddon, a wonderful celebration of our beery community organised by Elusive Brewing. And for our “away” leg, we were paired up with absolute lager masters Utopian, visiting their state-of-the-art brewery near Exeter to be guided through our first ever decoction mash, creating a magnificent (if we do say so ourselves) Nelson Sauvin single hopped lager.
Well, we’re excited to say that we have now got the “home” leg under our belts too! In a reflection of what we brewed together last year, we decided to stick with the same ABV and hop, and go for the style we’re best known for here at Abbeydale Brewery, just as we did by creating a lager at Utopian’s place.
And so, we’re thrilled to introduce Nelson Pale, a 5.2% single hopped pale ale which features the glorious Nelson Sauvin hop in whole cone, T90 and Cryo form. Using the same hop in three ways enabled us to make full use of our brewkit, including our traditional hopback where the hop flowers were infused into the beer – a heritage technique that was pretty novel for team Utopian!
The brewday also just so happened to fall on the 16th August, our brewery birthday! So we decided having Jeremy, Ben and Richard from Team Utopian with us was the perfect way to celebrate and declared collaboration day our birthday party. The night before we were able to show them the sights of Sheffield, with the Bath Hotel being a fantastic venue for pints and the Crucible causing much excitement as a tourist attraction!
And as for the beer itself – bold and hop forward, expect tropical fruit, citrus and hints of elderflower on the nose, followed by a smooth body and a crisp, clean bitter finish. It’s also vegan friendly and gluten free, and is available in cask, keg and can (including from our online shop).
Thanks again to Andy from Elusive for pairing us up with Utopian and demonstrating the spirit of collaboration that’s so important to our industry – it’s a privilege to have made such excellent new pals (and two beautiful beers) as a result.
The Rising Sun (winner of the 2022 Sheffield & District CAMRA Pub of the Year award, and 2023 Pub of the Year for Sheffield West) is a welcoming community pub based in the leafy Sheffield suburb of Fulwood. The pub has a long and rich history, of which Abbeydale Brewery’s ownership is the latest chapter. For today’s blog post we thought we’d take a deep delve into the past of our beautiful pub – there’s much to share!
A pub has been situated in the Rising Sun’s location since the 19th century, with its first appearance being in the 1859 General Directory of Sheffield. The name is said to have been chosen for pubs facing east and receiving the early-morning sun, which the original building did. The current building opened when the owners, the Sheffield Town Trustees, agreed to provide land for the widening of Fulwood Road to Sheffield Corporation, in return for the demolition and reconstruction of the original pub – which the widened road (to fit electric tram lines in the early twentieth century) was built right through the middle of! Scroll to the bottom of this blog to see a photo of the original building, with a much more familiar looking Rising Sun in the process of being built almost at a right angle to it!
In 1891, then landlord John Taylor was summoned to court for selling alcohol during prohibited hours, to around fifty Engineer Volunteers following their church parade. This event made the national news(!), with the Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser sharing the tale of John’s wife and daughter being caught in the act of pouring beer as quickly as they could into a random assortment of drinking vessels for the thirsty volunteers – the rascals! Sounds like John was usually on his best behaviour though, as he was let off with a £2 fine and allowed to keep his license due to his previous good character.
The pub has always been at the heart of its community, hosting events such as the Nethergreen floral and vegetable show just after the turn of the twentieth century, where it appears the “six dahlias” category was hotly contested and with no less than FIFTEEN prizes given out for differing types of award-winning kidney bean.
The existing building opened in July 1904, operated by the Sheffield Public House Trust Company and with J. Rowbotham as the first manager. A newspaper report from 1907 stated that “at the Rising Sun, the demand for teas, Bovril, meat sandwiches, and bread and cheese has been exceedingly great” (do give us a shout if you’d like to see this selection back on the menu!)
Mid-century, the license was taken over by the Courage group – and fun fact: according to long time regulars of the pub, until the 1950s, the car park behind the pub was a bowling green, with a wooden verandah spanning the back of the pub to make sure spectators had a good view. Interestingly, we couldn’t find any tangible evidence or photographs of such a bowling green, but we think it might still be hidden under the tarmac!
In the 1960s, to keep up with the fashions of the time, what is now the stage area to the left of the bar as you are facing it was converted into a fashionable cocktail bar, served by a hatch from the main bar. It was reportedly very popular!
The pub got a famous landlord in the 1980s, when Graham Pugh, football player for Sheffield Wednesday in the 1966 FA Cup Final, became the general manager. And then in July 1992, the University of Sheffield Students’ Union took over the pub, who were in charge right up until…
Abbeydale Brewery took ownership just in time for Christmas 2005! We officially took over the pub on the 19th December, and reopened on Christmas Eve – some might say we don’t do things the easy way! In the days between taking the pub and reopening there was lots to do, mainly cleaning, painting, installing new cellar kit and restocking everything from beer (of course), wine and spirits to glasses and crisps. One morning whilst sitting outside enjoying a well-earned cup of coffee, owners Pat and Sue noted the sheer number of dog walkers passing by. There and then, the Rising Sun became dog friendly, and remains so to this day. At the same time, having cleaned and painted walls and ceilings stained by years of smoking and with the smoking ban announced but not yet enforced, the Rising Sun became smoke free too.
Pat’s brother, Chris, was the first Abbeydale landlord. He did not take to it as a long-term prospect and was replaced by Dave and Karen Beaumont, already known to many regulars as they used to run the Beau Deli in Broomhill. Since then, Dave had worked as a drayman for Kelham island Brewery and when they too left the pub Dave continued to work for the brewery as a delivery driver until he retired in 2020. And our long-standing regulars will likely also remember Rob and Julie, who managed the pub for many years including overseeing the original Sunfest! The idea of the festival came about one bank holiday when Rob was chatting to Pat, and suggested a beer festival to help to put the pub on the map. “Absolutely!” said Pat. “How many beers could we do?” asked Rob – “At least 100” was the reply. “I was thinking 6!” said Rob. Pat of course got his way.
An extensive refurbishment took place in 2014, with the addition of a full kitchen and a feature glass-roofed extension creating the wonderful, welcoming and spacious venue we have today. The extension was designed by David Uhlar of Robin Ashley Architects. Much of the interior design was done by David, ably assisted by Dawn Milton, the business’ Finance Manager, and Nicole, then manager of the pub along with her husband Ryan. Dawn and Nicole had great fun sourcing things like the leather armchairs, Tiffany style lamps and many of the ornaments and pictures which adorn the pub today (and did a much better job than the design company we’d previously approached who seemed insistent that the pub needed to be covered in tartan upholstery!).
And as of 2018, we’ve had Absolution’s number one fan Garry at the helm, who has successfully steered the pub through challenging times and continues to strengthen the Rising Sun’s links with local people whilst showcasing what we at Abbeydale Brewery do best! We’re incredibly proud of our pub and the team there and it’s a privilege to be a part of such a long-standing community venue’s history – we can’t wait to see what the future will bring.
*As well as our own research, we’d like to extend thanks to Dave Pickersgill for contributing towards the historical background in this piece. If you enjoyed learning about the Rising Sun of yore, you can find much more about Sheffield’s pubs of historical interest in Dave’s book, Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs, which you can download here or head to our online shop to buy a physical copy.
We’re incredibly proud and absolutely delighted to share the news that we’ve been shortlisted in TWO categories at this year’s Brewers Choice Awards!
Firstly, our beautiful Travel Poster series is up for Branding of the Year! As a range of beers which are released in cask alone, this feels extra special – you’re hopefully all aware by now how absolutely vital we consider cask beer to be as part of our past, present and future, as well as hugely important to our culture and heritage more widely, and the Travel Poster series really demonstrates how much this means to us (you can read more about this rangehere). And arguably, pumpclips on a bar don’t always get their fair share of time in the spotlight compared to cans, so it’s especially nice to have an extra reason to shout about them! Congratulations to our designer James for creating such a stand-out series – there’s so much hard work and research that goes into each and every design, and it’s great to see that recognised.
It’s also particularly humbling to have been shortlisted in the Branding of the Year category as we brought this award home in 2022, for our Funk Dungeon series… and talking of the Funk Dungeon, the second nomination is for our mixed ferm master Jim Rangeley, who has been shortlisted for the Brewer of the Year Award! A phenomenal achievement and a wonderful recognition of his talent and passion as he comes up to celebrating a decade of working in the beer industry, nine years of which have been right here as part of Team Abbeydale. Jim has been shortlisted alongside Brian from Northern Monk and Alex at Full Circle, so not only is the standard incredibly high, it’s also brilliant to see the northern powerhouse in full force too!
Judged by an amazing panel of industry professionals, the Brewers Choice Awards are organised by the team behind the Brewers Journal. You can read more about the awards, and view the full shortlist, here.
It’s a huge honour to have made the shortlist (twice!!), and we can’t wait for the awards next month, which take place at the Brewers Congress in London… wish us luck!
Apparently, some people think that the most wonderful time of year is Christmas – at Abbeydale Brewery we reckon it might actually be PUMPKIN SPICE SEASON! Yes, that’s right – our most hotly anticipated annual release is soon to be on the way… it’s (almost) Pilgrim time, and this year, it’s brought not just one but TWO pumpkin spiced pals along!
After the success of the Pumpkin Spice Latte inspired Twilight Pilgrim stout version (5.0%) last year, we’re pleased to say that’s making a very welcome return, and as an all new addition for 2024 we’ve ramped things up another notch and are thrilled to introduce you to IMPERIAL PILGRIM! The Pumpkin Spiced Ale you know and love, but BIGGER! Weighing in at 8.0% ABV and with double the pumpkin, it’s bold, rich and full bodied, showcasing the same deliciously cosy blend of spices as the OG Pilgrim (5.0%), which of course completes the trilogy for maximum autumnal vibes.
Our pumpkin spiced pale ale has become, dare we say it, a bit of a Halloween icon that heralds the arrival of spooky season across the beery land. First released in 2017, our Pilgrim was originally inspired by a trip to the States to visit World Beer Cup award-winning Griffin Claw Brewing Co. Pumpkin Spice *Everything* hadn’t really taken off in the UK at the time, but across the pond they’re known for being just that bit more extra, and we brought a little bit of that back with us in the form of a secret recipe provided by friend of the brewery and much acclaimed American brewer Dan Rogers. We knew were taking a bit of a risk that first time Pilgrim was unleashed upon our drinkers, but it immediately found its niche and it’s been an increasingly popular seasonal special every year since. Last year it sold out in record time, so this year, along with adding a new squash sibling to the family, we’ve upped the brewlength and have more Pilgrim than ever before available. GOOD GOURD!
Trade customers can contact our sales team now to pre-order cask, keg or can of any or all of this year’s Pilgrim releases for their venue, and cans are available to pre-order NOW on our online shop, alongside Pilgrim tees, and gift boxes showcasing all three of these glorious seasonal treats in one handy little package are coming soon too. The beers are all planned to ship w/c 23rd September.
Time to get to know another of Team Abbeydale a little better! This time we’re chatting with our designer James, who began working with us back in 2016, when he was responsible for creating the distinctive look behind the branding for our Heathen. Since then, he’s become our in-house designer, and award-winning at that! Over to James to find out more…
First up, the basics! What’s your name and where do you come from?
Hi, my name is James and I’m from Leeds. I was born there and after living in London for a while, I now live just outside the city again in the countryside with my family.
What is your role at Abbeydale Brewery?
I’m very lucky to be the designer for this great brewery – constantly creating images for cans, pump clips and keg badges as well as merch, packaging and the promotional material we use to reach new venues and customers.
What’s your favourite beer and why?
My go-to beer is was the late, great Anchor Steam from San Francisco.
I’m a big fan of American lagers, cask stouts and Belgian ales and I like a well-made NEIPA.
It’ll be no surprise that I think we make some outstanding beers here and some of my favourites would be Funk Dungeon’s Ryes from the Grave, Pilgrim Pumpkin Spiced Ale and Restoration Baltic Porter.
What’s your favourite thing about working here?
I really enjoy working as part of the team that we have here – they are friendly, knowledgeable, hardworking people who are great at what they do.
That we produce a good number of beers throughout the year means that I’m always busy creating work for either a beer or another project. It’s an intense but incredibly rewarding job that allows us to constantly create something new that communicates with regular or prospective customers. It’s a great feeling seeing the beers out there, being enjoyed all over the country and elsewhere.
Do you have a favourite pub?
The Antelope in Surbiton, South West London. Owned by the fantastic Big Smoke Brewery, they have developed a space that is welcoming, relaxing and hard not to fall in love with – and their bar is full of Big Smoke brews and quality keg and cask guests on regular rotation alongside choice ciders and great food.
Another notable mention would be the Amity Brew. Co’s terrace in Farsley, Leeds which is great for the afternoon sun. Failing that – you can’t beat a cold beer on a sunny beach!
Where did you have your first (legal!) pint?
Possibly at Headingley Stadium on the rugby side watching Leeds Rhinos. It was probably a disappointing pint of Carlsberg in a plastic cup.
Favourite snack to enjoy alongside a beer? OR – Fries: Bacon or Scampi?
Something like a tapas plate really, maybe Patatas Bravas or Padron Peppers. And to answer the important question; Scampi.
When you’re not creating artwork for our beers, what do you get up to?
I also do varied freelance illustration work which helps me keep creative and I love to visit new places, learn languages and spend time outdoors – I’ve spent most of my life trying to learn to surf. Mainly though, I look forward to spending time with my wife and little boy somewhere fun.
Who’s your hero?
My sporting hero is an Australian rugby league player named Andrew Johns.
Considered to be a modern great – as a kid he made me see my sport in a totally different way. He also lived life however the hell he wanted and has had fun doing so. The saying goes ‘never meet your heroes’ but he was incredibly humble and forthcoming when I had the chance to spend some time with him in Sydney.
And finally… If you were a cartoon character, who would it be?
Tough one. Parents of kids of a certain age may be able to relate here, but I’d like to see myself as Bandit from the fantastic Aussie kids cartoon Bluey – A laid back dad who likes to mess around and have fun with their family but is still mindful enough to know that time’s precious and you’ve got to give your children (and partner) someone to turn-to, look up to and rely upon. That show really hits hard sometimes.
Introducing the 2024 edition of Swifty! In continuation of our partnership with Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust (more on that here), we’ve brought back this much requested pale ale, but this time with an extra special new twist!
In recognition of the amazing migratory journey that swifts make from Africa to the UK to breed every year, we’ve combined UK grown hops Fuggles with Fonio, an ancient grain grown in Africa.
Fonio is a naturally sustainable crop – it’s capable of growing in poor soil, and its roots even help add nutrients back into the ground, contributing to soil regeneration. It’s easy to grow, requiring no irrigation or pesticides, and drought resistant too, so it really helps to support the ethos of the Wildlife Trust and was the perfect choice to add to this beer. It’s also typically grown by smallholder farms in West Africa, so supports local industry and communities there too. Our brewer Thom who was in charge of creating this year’s version of Swifty also described it as “a dream!” to brew with.
…and as well as all that, it also tastes great too! The Fonio itself gives a lovely light, clean crispness to the beer alongside delicate hints of aromatic lychee and melon, which work beautifully with the gentle spicy hedgerow notes and lingering bitter finish from the hops. A unique and easy drinking pale ale that’s a perfect partner for perusing the new Sheffield Swift City Map!
The cold wet spring has made things particularly difficult for the swift population this year, so it seems even more important to be able to raise awareness and support for these beautiful birds, who we do hope you’ve still noticed gracing the skies with their aerial acrobatics in recent weeks.
The beer is available in cask only (we believe it to be only the second beer made using Fonio to be released in cask in the world!), so be sure to look out for it on the bar of your local pub. 10p from every pint sold will be donated to Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust to help support nature’s recovery.
#TeamAbbeydale is made up of more than just the brewery, so next in our series where we introduce you to our fantastic crew, we thought it was about time for you to get to know the landlord of our pub, The Rising Sun, a little better! He’s been at the helm there since 2018, so will already be very familiar to our wonderful regulars. Over to Garry!
First up, the basics! What’s your name and where do you come from?
Garry Raynes – from Sheffield
What is your role at Abbeydale Brewery?
I’m the General Manager at the Rising Sun, Abbeydale Brewery’s community pub based in the lovely leafy suburb of Nether Green.
What’s your favourite beer?
Absolution
What’s your favourite thing about working at The Rising Sun?
Being close to Absolution at all times
Best place to enjoy a pint?
The Three Stags Heads in Wardlow Mires, or Flagship in Playa Blanca (but they don’t have Absolution)
Where did you have your first (legal!) pint?
Not a clue. I had tonsillitis on my 18th Birthday and was bed ridden. Don’t remember where I went out after I had recovered
Fries: Bacon or Scampi?
Scampi Fries
When you’re not busy looking after the pub, what do you get up to?
I like to read – mainly crime thrillers or autobiographies
Who’s your hero (beery or otherwise!)?
Whoever invented Absolution (Editor’s note – that’ll be Pat! And do you somehow get the impression Garry might really quite like Absolution?!)
And finally… If you were a cartoon character, who would it be?
In this blog post, our Ops Director Toby waxes lyrical about his love for cask ale, sharing his journey, background, and thoughts and feelings on how to present it at its very finest.
The first thing I noticed about Sheffield was the rain. To be fair, I did move here during the 2007 floods, so there was a lot of it. The second thing was the hills, lots of them. Everywhere, and which for my first few days seemed more like rivers, which is not how hills would behave where I grew up.
The next thing though was the cask beer, wherever I went for a drink. I wasn’t used to this, for me ale was mostly flavourless national brands, or (shudder) creamflow and I had no time for it – it was a pain to look after and not worth the effort. But not here. In Sheffield the beer was generally local, excellent and revered in a way that was completely new to me, despite 10 years’ experience of working in bars.
Everyone I met drank the stuff, and the mainstream brands I used to ignore were absent – why would you need them with well-kept Pale Rider and Moonshine made within a few miles? I even got taken to the Devonshire Cat, and discovered the unknown delights of Belgian beer, starting with Westmalle Dubbel and then working my way through the shelves of the Dram Shop in Crookes.
So why did this matter? Well I’d moved to Sheffield, not knowing a soul, to set up a new bar. I went to work for True North (then called Forum Café Bars) to revamp the Halcyon on Division Street into something new. After just a few days here I decided that beer had to be part of what we did, and not just any beer – good, local beer. The plans for the bar changed, Sheffield was obviously a very down to earth, real place with no time for pretensions and I loved that. In went sofas, vintage tables, rugs, guitar music and most importantly beer. That was the Old House, and it made me fall in love with Sheffield and its beer.
The only problem was I had no idea really what cask beer was or how to look after it, so I needed to learn. Alex Liddle, then manager of the Forum, now boss at True North, was the person that showed me. Organised, meticulous and patient, Alex showed me how to treat the beer, what happened to it over time, and the importance of patience and not disturbing it. Alex also happened to be from Kent, so we opened the place with Spitfire and Bishops Finger, all freshly vented and soft pegged on crisp new tilters.
It took about 2 hours of the opening night to realise my mistake. People would drink these beers, but mainly just so they could tell me how much better the local beer was and how I needed to get in some “proper stuff”. The next morning I rang the 2 places that were mentioned the most, the sadly departed Kelham Island and Abbeydale Brewery. We quickly went from 2 cask lines to 4 and sold more of the stuff than I thought possible. People would come in, relax, chat to us and casually work their way through the range, it felt like a second home.
We stretched out into lots of guest breweries, always independent, always interesting, but Moonshine never left the bar. It couldn’t, or I’d spend all night getting told to put it back on.
I was to spend the next 8 years setting up venues across Sheffield – bars, pubs and restaurants. Diverse places like the Wick at Both Ends and the Broadfield, all with a different clientele, but always cask beer came with me, and always, always Moonshine was on the bar.
Over the years some great Sheffield breweries came, such as Triple Point, St. Mars of the Desert and Loxley, and many have sadly gone – including Kelham Island (although some of its beers remain), Sheffield Brew Co. and Exit 33 – brewing is not an easy way to make money.
So how do you look after cask beer then? If you ask 100 landlords or managers, you’ll get 100 different answers. Some based on science, some on craft, and sadly, some not completely right. You can taste the results in the beer, almost like you’re consuming the craft and effort put into it. It’s what separates real ale for me and makes it a uniquely British art form. Here’s my take on how I feel it works best:
Freshness
The first thing for me is freshness. Oxygen is the enemy of fresh. It’ll bind on to those delicate flavour compounds and flatten out all the interesting notes – producing a cardboard flavour. Whether it’s wine, beer, or food, keep the oxygen away. Beer should always be treated in a way to prevent air ingress. Soft peg while serving, hard peg or closed valve as soon as you’re not. It matters.
Venting
This is the process of opening up the cask, if the beer is already lively (lots of CO2 present) then you might get wet doing this. First, tap a hard peg into the shive (in the side of the cask), then take a mallet and with one strike, put the tap through the keystone in the top of the cask. Make sure it’s airtight, then put the cask in place to settle. Over the next few days you’ll need to regularly check it, bleeding off excess pressure (from CO2), and always with some blue roll on standby in case it gets too lively. Then leave it well alone til you need it.
Conditioning
First up, what conditioning is. It’s the process of yeast fermenting available sugars, kicking out CO2, flavour compounds, and yes, a little more alcohol. This CO2 gives cask beer the sparkle that lifts it and produces a blanket that sits on top of the liquid to keep the oxygen away (oxygen creeps in to the cask when you pull a pint through). Opinions vary but personally I want my beer to be 2 weeks old (from being put in cask) before tapping, and spend 2 weeks in cellar gently maturing and building up it’s carbonation. All without being disturbed, so all the yeast can slowly bunch up and sink out, leaving clear beer.
Sparkler
Ah, one of the great national divides. Generally speaking, Northerners use sparklers, Southerners don’t. Some say it’s a matter of opinion, I say the Northerners are right, but I’m from Lancashire so I would say that. Sparklers force the beer through tiny holes which aerate it, giving a smooth and creamy mouthfeel.
Cleaning
Cleanliness is essential. Bacteria will make beer taste poor, and beer lines need cleaning regularly. All your cellar dispense kit should be sterilised, and rinsed in running water weekly. You can either clean the lines weekly, or between casks, but always if you’re changing the beer you have on.
Vertical serve vs. horizontal serve
Another controversial one, some people swear by the traditional method of laying the cask on a tilter and over time the spring lifts the beer to help empty it out. I prefer and recommend vertical serve, where the cask stands upright and you draw through a float on top of the beer. Vertical serve gives fresher beer for me, so wins out, it also has less wastage and in an emergency, will settle out to be bright quicker.
And what about beer clarity? This is a massive topic, and one that requires its whole own post – watch this space, and all will become… clear!
The bottom line is looking after cask ale is both art and science, cask beer is a living, breathing thing after all. At the brewery we have an in house lab and plenty of equipment to give us precise and accurate analysis, but we still rely more on the human palate and a lot of training more than anything else.
So that’s it. I’m sure every single cellar manager in the country will be waiting to tell me where I’m wrong – maybe we can talk about it over a pint of Moonshine.
Enjoy your pint, someone has put a lot of effort into it.
From protecting habitats for hedgehogs, to campaigning against wildlife crime and helping everyone get closer to nature; Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust cares for local wildlife and the wild spaces that we all depend on.
Whilst in the past we’ve selected a new charity for each financial year, in January we were made honorary corporate members of the trust and it just seemed to make sense to continue our partnership in full. Plus, Swifty, our charity beer for last year, has been requested so many times that we felt bringing it back was entirely justified – just like the swifts themselves have begun to return to our town recently! More details on this year’s brew will be on the way soon. In the meantime, do take a look at the newly launched Sheffield Swift City Map, which is a tool we can all use to support the efforts of local swift conservation feoups.
2023 was a fantastic year for Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, who successfully raised funds to secure the purchase of Ughill Farm, 132 hectares of farmland based on the western outskirts of Sheffield. This means the Trust can now begin to trial nature-friendly farming practices on the site, as part of their aim to see 30% of nature in recovery by 2030 and something which will benefit the wider community for generations to come. We’re looking forward to learning more about this project as the year progresses, and see how the site changes with the seasons.
It’s in collaborating with the local community that the most good can be done to safeguard and enhance the environment, and we’re really excited to continue working with Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust to help raise awareness of the easy steps every single one of us can take to give wildlife in our area the chance to thrive.
It’s time to meet another of the lovely bunch that make up Team Abbeydale, and it’s the turn of Robin, who this week celebrates his 10th anniversary of working here… a whole decade! Happy Brewery Birthday, Robin – we’re very lucky to have you!
First up, the basics! What’s your name and where do you come from?
My name is Robin, and I was born and bred in this fair city we call home.
What is your role at Abbeydale Brewery?
Now that’s a good question! How long have you got?! Having initially joined as a member of the sales team, my role has evolved over the years. I’m now the Export Manager, and amongst other things I am responsible for the monthly duty return, sales analysis, cellar technical support, delivery logistics and a whole host of other things!
What’s your favourite beer style and why?
It genuinely depends what mood I’m in, but I love hoppy pale beers in cask, German lagers and mixed fermented beers. Partial to a good stout now and then too! Particular favourites are Augustiner Helles, Saison DuPont and Fyne Ales Jarl.
What’s your favourite thing about working at Abbeydale Brewery?
After ten years of working here, it’s clear that it’s the people. It really feels like a family, and the fact that a good third of our workforce have been here longer than me speaks volumes.
Favourite pub in the world?
I would have to say The Crow, Sheffield. Perfect mix of traditional pub with an unbelievable rotating keg and bottle offering. The Schneider Weisse tap in the middle of Munich is pretty special too.
Where did you have your first (legal!) pint?
Pale Rider in the Fat Cat on my 18th birthday. Was at the time the Champion Beer of Britain, so it felt quite appropriate.
Favourite snack to enjoy alongside a beer?
Definitely Scampi > Bacon in the fries wars, but Jalapeño Snyders pretzel pieces beat all.
When you’re not busy exporting beer, what do you get up to?
I trained as a musician, and haven’t completely given up hope of being a rock star at some point in the future 😉 I still play with various bands, and have been excited to be back in the studio recently with Dead Like Harry. I also love spending time with my family, and my two boys keep me hands full! I’ve been known on occasion to frequent Hillsborough to cheer on the Owls although not so frequently since the family came along!
Who’s your hero?
Dave Grohl, without doubt. Getting to see the Foos play again in a few weeks time, can’t wait!
And finally… If you were a cartoon character, who would it be?
I was once described in a review as looking like Animal from the Muppets whilst I was on stage, but I know the Muppets aren’t technically a cartoon, and also Animal plays the drums not the bass! I do love SpongeBob though, and South Park. Maybe Randy Marsh is my hero… 😉
A true Sheffield institution founded in 1996 and employee owned since 2024, Abbeydale Brewery blends heritage and tradition with creativity and innovation, showcasing these values across an unparalleled range of beers.
