Sheffield retro: A boozy look back at the 90s, from pubs to lost breweries and the people who worked there

The city has a long and proud beer-making heritage, but things were very different in the early 90s.

Back then, rather than lots of independent breweries, the scene was still dominated by the big four.

You had Wards brewery, on Ecclesall Road; Cannon (formerly Stones) brewery in Neepsend; Whitbreads Exchange brewery, beside the River Don at Lady’s Bridge; and Hope & Anchor brewery, up at Wadsley Bridge.

These retro photos take you back to the last days of those breweries in the 90s.

They show workers at Wards brewery, which is now the site of a major housing development, with the old gateway preserved as a reminder of its heady heritage.

A famous old tenant at Whitbread Brewery is pictured preparing to move to a prestigious new home in the city.

And former managers of the Stones/Cannon Brewery, today enjoying a fresh lease of life as the site is transformed into a new neighbourhood, are seen overseeing operations.

Three of the city’s smaller beer producers are pictured too, including Kelham Island Brewery, which began life in 1990 in the back garden of the Fat Cat pub.

Elsewhere, former landlords at some of Sheffield’s best-loved pubs are pictured pulling pints, and citizens are seen enjoying the finest brews, including a refreshing pint of Wards Best Bitter.

Do these photos bring back any memories for you? What do you think is the best beer ever made in Sheffield, and what is the best you can still buy today?