‘Beer Census’ finds Sheffield is the best for real ale

When is it not the best?


For the third year running, an annual “beer census” has found Sheffield is the best city for drinking real ale, and for the cheapest pint. 

In a survey conducted in September, the Campaign for Real Ale group visited 145 pubs in Sheffield, with a total of 730 hand pumps, and found a vast 385 different cask beers.

Bradfield Farmers Blonde, Abbeydale Moonshine, and Sharps Doom Bar were among the three most common beers found in the pubs, with Abbeydale, Bradfield and Greene King being the most popular breweries.

Beer

The average price of a pint of real ale came in at £2.86, with the cheapest being Weatherspoon’s Rawson Spring at a measly £1.70.

Nottingham and York came second and third with 334 and 281 different beers respectively, and as usual, our Northern neighbours Leeds dragged behind with only 189 different beers.

Sheffield is notorious for its huge beer scene, with last year’s beer festival at the SU showcasing over 80 real ales, lagers and fruit beers.

Kai Lovett, a self confessed beer fanatic, wasn’t surprised at the news: “I just never knew I could like beer so much until I came to Sheffield.

“I even tried double chocolate stout last year, who knew?”