Thugs smash into Sheffield bar and brewery using beer cask – and steal staff’s tip jar

Thieves smashed their way into Triple Point Brewery + Bar using one of the firm’s own beer casks, and stole a laptop, spirits and even the staff tips jar, which was set to pay for a well-deserved day out.

They also took the keys to the brewery’s van, which is used for deliveries, though they left the vehicle itself and didn’t touch the beer.

Triple Point is the latest independent business to be targeted in recent weeks, following similar break-ins at the Beer House and Ecclesall Ale Club, both on Ecclesall Road, and at the Itchy Pig in Broomhill, among other venues.

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George Brook, who founded the brewery on Shoreham Street with his dad Mike in 2018, claimed the timing of the break-in, carried out by two masked men in the early hours of Sunday, May 9, could not have been worse.

“We’re just getting back on our feet following the lockdown, which has been really hard not just for us but for every other independent business in Sheffield,” he said.

"To have this happen just as we’re starting to get back to normality is a real kick in the teeth.

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"Everything can be replaced but the massive glass window is going to cost thousands to fix and we used our laptop to plan brews and print labels, so this is going to mean a lot of extra work.

"The staff tip jar was going to pay for them to have a day out when the world reopens properly because it’s been tough for them. They’d earned quite a lot in tips and we’d put a lot of cash in too.”

Mr Brook said the break-in would not affect bookings for the bar or deliveries, though he asked customers to ‘bear with us’ as things may take a little longer than usual.

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He added that there were lots of tables available this week for bookings and that ‘any support would be incredible after this kick in the teeth’.

Police confirmed that an investigation is underway following the break-in, which happened at some time between 3am and 4am on Sunday morning.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting the incident number 584 of May 9.