Last Updated: 13 October 2026
Most folk would remember Sheffield for being the Steel capital of the UK, or world. Since then, the city has seen a very dramatic change over the past years. With more students coming up north to study which attracts more diverse offerings, businesses opening their doors and investors investing in the city.
You can almost see the city following a dramatic change from what it used to be circa the 1990s. With this change, as like many other cities across the UK, we’ve seen a rise in the independents making a strong voice for themselves. From cafes, bars, restaurants to clothes shops and more importantly, breweries.
In a survey and article published by the University of Sheffield, they mention Sheffield as the capital of Beer and the birthplace of the UK Craft Beer Revolution. The report notes that Sheffield has one brewery for every 23,991 people, which is 4.7 times more brewers per capita than Greater London. With the city’s breweries turning out 1,000 different beers each year.
And for all you thirsty people out there, on a typical day, there are 400 different beers available in the city’s pubs. Which is where our exploration kicks off.
Where to Start?
If you are coming by train, the first point of call is the Sheffield Tap, operated and run by the Tapped Brewing Co. The Sheffield Tap is a wonderful pub, housed within the former Edwardian Refreshment & Dining rooms of Sheffield Station. The rooms became disused in the 1960s, with the British Rail having the final blow in the 1970s when the refreshment rooms being converted into waiting rooms. With gorgeous attention to detail upon entering, with high ceilings in the bar area, stunning wood paneling and the addition of drinking a half (or pint) of your choosing next to the in-house copper brewing kit. The bar consists of 11 cask hand-pulls and 12 keg taps all which rotate on a weekly basis.
Moving on from the Sheffield Tap, you can venture up through the centre of Sheffield and pay a visit to the Rutland Arms, a pub that has recently seen a change in landlords in March 2017 and has seen some of the finest beer in Europe to have been graced in Sheffield from War Pigs, Cloudwater, Beavertown, Modern Times, Evil Twin to sours and more. With Chris Bamford, ex-manager for The Shakespeare and Kate Major now landlords of the Rutland Arms, you can expect to see the Rutland turn into a craft beer geeks haven. Oh, and don’t forget the pub’s amazing pub grub menu.
Looking for somewhere to eat? Well here comes a list that will make you spoilt for choice. Sheffield, apart from being a beer lovers paradise, is also a food lovers playground. For some fine food, you can head to Ecclesall Road where Mowgli Street Food has decided to make it home. Offering visitors a unique twist on Indian food and rustic, quirky interiors and cocktails to satisfy anyone’s thirst.
Indian food not tickling your fancy? Then you can always find some really good burger joints in and around Sheffield. In particular you can rely on Twisted Burger Co. Located at Triple Point Breweries tap & brewery. They’re renowned for their adventurous twists on burgers and collaborating with some household names from Sheffield from Bring Me The Horizon, Toddla T and While She Sleeps just to name but a few. One burger in particular you should definitely try is their Louisana Style.
If you are a pizza lover then one place I know that is a MUST is Craft & Dough. A restaurant that gives you fuel whilst you’re following this guide and keeps the beers flowing. Craft & Dough currently operate out of two locations, their original location in the historic area of Kelham Island and their second location located in the Wig & Pen on Campo Lane. You can guarantee the food will be amazing and will keep you well fuelled to continue your trip in Sheffield.
Bottle Shops of Sheffield
Train beers? Don’t worry about that, Sheffield can definitely give you some satisfaction. You are definitely in luck in Sheffield for bottle shops, from Beer Central, Hop Hideout, Turner’s Bottle Shop, Starmore Boss to Walkley Beer Co. If you are looking for a perfect all-rounder and is located in the centre of Sheffield and really possess that independent atmosphere, head to The Moor Market and visit Beer Central.
When you first venture into the Moor Market and visit Beer Central, you will probably be greeted by owner and beer extraordinaire, Sean Clarke who maybe taking snaps of their recent intake of beers. The store shelves are filled wall-to-wall of the finest Craft Beers available in Sheffield from America, New Zealand right the way through to Central Europe. Have a recommendation on a beer that Beer Central should check out? Go right ahead, they will most likely look to get hold of some.
Not able to visit the store? Not a problem, you can arrange for delivery (hand-delivered if local) or courier delivery to deliver your beers or better still, create your own box to collect or again, get delivered.
Beer Central take it old school, which I love, it’s all word of mouth at this place. No fancy marketing, no costly advertisements just straight old, take a snap, upload to Twitter or Facebook and you will see many of folk flock to reserve the beers for their next visit and with that follows word of mouth and people spreading the message. It’s a method that is rarely seen nowadays and it is refreshing to know that Beer Central definitely are sticking to their roots. Don’t worry though, Beer Central are very active on social media and you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Another hotspot to check out is the ever-popular, Hop Hideout. They used to be located on Abbeydale Rd where they first established themselves back in 2013 but in March 2019 Hop Hideout relocated to the city centre of Sheffield within innovative new food hall space Kommune alongside ten independent kitchens and La Biblioteka book store.
Hop Hideout still dedicate themselves to showcasing great breweries from Yorkshire and beyond. With over 200+ beers, a quality hand-picked selection of ciders and natural, skin-contact and/or organic wines. 95% of the beers and ciders are available to drink in – all priced at the shelf end; wine is for taking home only. All drink in bottles and cans are decanted, so we can recycle the packaging as part of our sustainability ethos. The stock is 100% refrigerated in-store and via our cellar cold room. There are four taps of draught beer constantly rotating – available to drink in or take away via growler fill.
While You’re Here
All that drinking and eating can take its toll. But there is a lot of things to see and do whilst you are visiting Sheffield to suit any person. If you are a comedy lover and love some of that dark humour, head to the Last Laugh at the Memorial Hall which is hosted every Friday and Saturday night and graces some of the funniest comedians in Sheffield.
If the above doesn’t take your fancy, why not revisit some of Sheffield’s dark stories by venturing on Steel City Ghost Tours. Priced at just a Fiver per person, Mr. P Dreadful will take you down some Sheffield’s history of scandal, gangs to murder.
Or you and your group of beery companions can take on the Great Escape Games, I probably would not recommend doing this intoxicated as this requires you to escape from a room. And we all know how that would end up. If you fancy an amazing alternative this is definitely up there and an amazing talking point for the remainder of your night out.
Have you been to Sheffield and discovered somewhere you want to share? Or simply recommend anywhere outside of Sheffield? Let us know in the comments!
Some Other Great Places in Sheffield
The Bath Hotel
Best Breweries in Sheffield
Lost Industry Brewing Co.
Exit 33 Brewery
The Brew Foundation
