The good, the bad and we'll just forget about the ugly for the time being

As we move into October, and the nights really start to draw in, there’s a lot of beer and pub related stories for the blog to cover. Some are good, one is bad, and the rest are somewhat in between, so let’s start off with the good, before looking at some of the other issues.

The news that Sheffield’s iconic Kelham Island Brewery has been saved, following its closure in May this year, has been widely reported, and obviously well-received. Pete Brown covers the story from a factual point of view, interspersed with some rather interesting, and at times, quite touching, thoughts of his own. Rather repeating on this blog, what Pete has written, click on the link and read what he has to say regarding this most welcome news.

The story has a personal interest for me as well, because back in May I made a long overdue trip up to Sheffield, primarily to meet up with pub-ticking legend, Retired Martin, but also to explore and enjoy some of Steel City’s equally legendary pubs. I kicked off my time in Sheffield, with a couple of pints, plus a bite to eat, at the Fat Cat, where I was joined by both Martin and Sheffield Hatter – another pub man extraordinaire. The Fat Cat is sited next to Kelham Island Brewery, who actually own the pub, so was a good place to sample both Kelham Island Best, and the brewery’s best-known product – Pale Rider.

The latter is a classic, hop-forward, pale ale, light in colour, as its name suggests, but anything but light when it comes to taste and flavour. The beer also provided inspiration for a host of similar “copy-cat” beers, although none could quite rival the original. At the time of my visit, the landlord of the Fat Cat said they had around a fortnight’s worth of KIB stock remaining, so given the four months that have passe since then, it’s a good job that the brewing kit was left in situ in order for production to recommence.

If you don’t want to read through Pete’s article, the knights in shining armour, who have rescued the brewery, are a consortium that includes Thornbridge Brewery and Sheffield Tramlines. The latter group, organise one of the longest running, and most successful music festivals in the UK; an event centred on Sheffield and named after the city’s tram network. If you want to learn more, then I strongly advise you to read Mr Brown’s piece, especially as it details the story of Kelham Island Brewery, its legendary founder, Dave Wickett, and how KIB provided the inspiration for Thornbridge Brewery.

And now for the bad news, which concerns a brewery at the opposite end of the country. Last week, Truro-based Skinner’s Brewery announced that it was going into administration, citing funding problems as the cause. Skinner’s has been at the heart of the Cornish beer scene since 1997, supplying local free houses in Cornwall as well as selling directly to customers at the brewery and online. Owner Steve Skinner and his wife Elaine had said previously that they feared the brewery would go bust during the Covid pandemic and had launched a crowdfunding campaign with an ambitious target.

Unfortunately, it appears this was not enough, because at the end of last week, a statement appeared on the company's Facebook page confirming the closure of the brewery, and the appointment of administrators. Mr Skinner and his wife are keeping their fingers crossed for a suitable buyer to come along and buy the business in order for the brewery, that has been a part of Cornish life, to continue in one form or another.

Along with local drinkers, we will have to wait and see what happens with Skinner’s, but it must be heart-breaking to witness the 25 years of hard work necessary to build a successful company, and then see it vanish before your eyes. From a personal point of view, I’m not that familiar with Skinner’s beers, with the honourable exception of Betty Stoggs. I do know quite a few people though who are regular visitors to Cornwall, and who are huge fans of the company’s beers.

On the other hand, because of the relative isolation of Cornwall from the rest of the country, I get the distinct impression that apart from locals and holiday makers, Skinner’s beers aren’t quite as well known as Kelham Island’s. I also get the feeling that some beer writers aren’t keen on them for other reasons. For example, in their weekly Saturday roundup, veteran bloggers, Boak & Bailey rather dismissively admit they were never hugely fond of Skinner’s beers, or of what they call their “old skool branding,” but then acknowledge that the company were a major player in Cornwall.

So, with the good and the bad news covered, I will leave things there for the time being, whilst awaiting further developments. As hinted at the beginning of this article, there is quite a lot else for me to write about, but as it’s getting late, I shall leave these stories for next time. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!