Here's where a Sheffield brewery has opened a new shop selling gin, beer and gifts for Christmas while its bars are shut because of Tier 3 rules

True North Brew Co – which runs 12 venues across South Yorkshire and Derbyshire – has set up the store on Devonshire Street in The Forum Shops, alongside the firm’s Forum Kitchen + Bar.

The outlet sells the company’s Sheffield Dry Gin as well as gift sets, kegs of beer and merchandise with a local flavour such as The Henderson’s Relish Cook Book and Sheffield Honey.

For the past four years people have only been able to buy Sheffield Dry Gin – the first variety of the spirit to be distilled and bottled in the city in more than 100 years – via True North’s online store and collect bottles from The Forum Kitchen + Bar.

However, the second national lockdown forced pubs, bars and restaurants to close, making the brewery’s products harder to purchase in person. The same rules still apply in Sheffield as the city is subject to Tier 3 restrictions to reduce the spread of coronavirus – however, ‘non-essential’ retail shops can open again just in time for Christmas.

True North’s gin sales manager Lucy Allen said: “2020 has been a tough year, especially for the hospitality industry, and while our pubs are shut we have been working behind the scenes to change the way that we operate.

“Now that the True North store is open it's another way for our loyal customers to support us, and for those that prefer to click and collect we now have dedicated premises to do so while the restrictions for our pubs mean that they cannot open.”

The brewery’s store joins the likes of Bear Tree Records, Artcade Gallery, Honkytonks Barbers and The Owl & The Pussycat Piercing at The Forum Shops.

Kane Yeardley, True North’s managing director, bought The Forum in 1992 when it was an old, disused warehouse and turned it into a popular spot.

The True North store’s opening hours are Monday to Friday 12pm to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm.

See www.truenorthbrewco.uk for more information.

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