UK city will fight to defend its crown as 'best in the world' for beer drinkers

22 October 2023 , 13:04

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Sheffield City Region had nearly five times as many breweries per person as the London and brewed 1,000 different beers every year (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A British city is hoping to defend its crown as the best in the world for beer.

Sheffield was dubbed the real ale capital of the world and the birthplace of the craft beer revolution by experts in 2016. It's now hoping to hold onto that title when academics revisit their report.

According to Pete Brown, an award-winning beer writer and author of the report, 400 unique beers were available in the city's pubs. And the Sheffield City Region had nearly five times as many breweries per person as the London and brewed 1,000 different beers every year.

But the report is now being revisited and updated following the huge impact the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis has had on the brewing and hospitality industries.

Sheffield is ahead of the game when it comes to the popular drink (Getty Images)

Pete said: “A great deal has happened in the beer world since 2016. Sheffield is still a great city to drink beer in, but like everywhere else, brewing and hospitality have been hit by Covid and the cost-of-living crisis. Some brewers have closed, but other new ones have opened."

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"I get the sense that the Sheffield beer scene is actually more interesting and diverse than it was, even more of an attraction to the city and the region than it was in 2016, but I’m very keen to put some numbers on that and dig deeper."

The report is set to explore the role Sheffield’s brewers are playing in the regeneration of the city and the increasing role of women in the industry. Professor Vanessa Toulmin from the University of Sheffield, who commissioned the report, said: “The first report had a huge impact on how Sheffield is seen, particularly in terms of the visitor economy."

"But the numbers in it are now nearly eight years out of date. It’s clear that the report is valuable, so we need an updated version."

The report is expected to be launched next March.

Zesha Saleem