Cheers! Beer brewed to salute crew of ill-fated HMS Sheffield raises hundreds for armed forces

The Shiny Sheff was brewed to mark the 35th anniversary of the ship sinking in 1982 after being hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile, which killed 20 people.

Stancill Brewery in Neepsend created the tipple, taking its name from the ship's moniker, to honour those who served aboard the ill-fated Type 42 destroyer.

A percentage of proceeds were donated to the Armed Forces Day organisation which staged this year's military fair at Penistone Show Ground, where it is returning next June.

On Saturday, Sheffield lord mayor Anne Murphy and Penistone & Stocksbridge MP Angela Smith presented a cheque for the £1,500 which was raised to Royal Navy veteran Spike Mayston, who helps run the event.

Tom Gill, the brewery's managing director, said: "Like many businesses in Sheffield, we are proud to support our armed services. A massive part of Sheffield’s heritage is the manufacturing and production of steel components for shipbuilding, tanks and armaments. HMS Sheffield was coined 'The Shiny Sheff' as the traditional brass fittings were in fact made from Sheffield stainless steel."

Councillor Murphy, who attended the launch of the beer along with HMS Sheffield veterans in May, told how she was delighted to be back to present the cheque for the event, which she said had proved a 'big success' this year.

More than 7,000 people attended the first Armed Forces Day event in Penistone this summer, which included marching bands, a junior assault course and field gun competition.

Organisers say they are planning a 'much larger' show next year and have appealed for businesses wishing to get involved to email [email protected].