Sheffield brewery looks back on 17 years in the industry and dozens of iconic beers

A Sheffield brewery which turns 17 this April, just one year shy of the legal drinking age, has had a huge impact on the city’s beer scene.
Bradfield Brewery is offering home deliveries of its classic ales like Farmers Blonde. (www.bradfieldbrewery.com)Bradfield Brewery is offering home deliveries of its classic ales like Farmers Blonde. (www.bradfieldbrewery.com)
Bradfield Brewery is offering home deliveries of its classic ales like Farmers Blonde. (www.bradfieldbrewery.com)

If you throw a dart into a map of Sheffield, chances are it will land on a street with a fantastic independent pub, and in that pub you’re more than likely to find a Bradfield beer on tap.

Bradfield Brewery began life on a busy working dairy farm in the Peak District village of Bradfield, when the owners realised that they needed to diversify in order to pay their bills.

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In 2005 the first beer, Farmers Bitter, was brewed, and would be followed by dozens more, with a Valentine’s beer, Farmers Blushed newly released, and a Jubilee beer planned for later in the year.

John Gill, founder of the business, said: “I didn’t expect it to be this successful at all. When we first started we were going to brew and deliver all the beers ourselves, and we were still going to be milking the cows.

"After six months we were already making more money from the brewery than from milking, and we made the biggest decision of our life to sell all of our milk cows.

"That had been our livelihood for generations, but there just wasn’t enough money to cover the bills coming in.”

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Now Bradfield Brewery has a core range of six beers, many more seasonal brews, and has opened three pubs across Sheffield and the Peak District.

Their best selling beer, Farmers Blonde, was the result of a Wetherspoons competition seeking a new light beer. It is an award-winning easy drinking blonde ale.

John added: “We have had criticism from some who say that our beers are not hoppy enough. I honestly believe that people want a nice easy drinking beer, where they can finish it and say that they fancy another.

“When we started and we saw our clips on the bar, we thought that was brilliant. It’s nice that people like drinking it. The other day someone had ordered one of our stouts at the bar. He didn’t know it was my brewery and he turned round to me and told me how good it was.

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"We are still a working farm, we have sheep, but it’s not our main source of income anymore.”

Other seasonal Bradfield brews to look out for this year include Farmers Stout Vanilla, Irish Dexter, and Plum Bitter.

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