Food news: Month of beer set to pull in large crowds

Sentinel Brewhouse, a pub, brewery and theatre of ale, launched during beer week 2016

Tastings, brewery events and more will be back for the third annual Sheffield Beer Week, March 13 -19, and organisers have just begun to announce the first local breweries involved, from Neepsend to Belgian family brewer Brouwerij De Brabander.

And The Society of Independent Brewers and Zephyr Conference have also announced that the first-ever Beer Now Conference will take place March 17-19 in Sheffield, coinciding with the Beer Alive - formerly Beer X - festival which is SIBA’s national event.

Jules Gray, who runs the Hop Hideout beer shop on Abbeydale Road and Sheffield Beer Week, said: “I’m really pleased to see the year- on-year interest grow throughout Sheffield and beyond in its appetite for celebrating beer.

“Beer tourism is a growing area and I see this as a crucial cog to Sheffield’s continued beer success and positive economic growth city-wide.

“It’s really exciting to be part of developing this expanding annual event. I want to give a big thanks to all those who have been involved in previous years and look forward to 2017’s plans as they gather apace.”

The beer week will include public events across multiple venues, and drinkers can also take part in Twitter Hours - celebrating local ales without the need to be in a pub.

Meanwhile the Beer Now conference is focused on ‘marketing, tourism, and communications’ in the modern beer industry, taking place at IceSheffield.

Beer bloggers and writers from across Europe are set to attend while thousands are likely at Beer Alive’s craft ale, music and street food.

n There’s still a bleak January to get through, and to beat the cold and money misery, scores of Sheffield restaurants are running January offers to tempt diners back through the doors. Japanese Koko, on Ecclesall Road, is offering 30 per cent off for those who mention the code Koko30 when booking online. It also has a new menu. Indian Aagrah is offering 25 per cent off on weekdays to those who download a voucher and print it off. True North venues city-wide have offers on gin cocktails, while reward card holders can enjoy half off their food bill on booked tables Monday to Friday. Marco’s New York Italian at West Bar is also offering a 50 per cent discount for advance bookings at certain times.