This event is part of the Sheffield CAMRA Steel City Beer Festival 2026 (SCBF50).

This talk will be led by four key members of the team at Kelham Island Brewery: Tom Clay (Sales & Brand Director) and three of the Owner/Directors: Jim Harrison, James O’Hara and Simon Webster.

When the Fat Cat opened in 1981, the choice of cask beer in Sheffield doubled. Ten years later saw the Kelham Island Brewery: the first new independently owned brewery in Sheffield since 1937 when the Sheffield Free Brewery became a Limited Company.

The presenters will look back to the history of the Fat Cat and Kelham Island Brewery, lauding the pioneering work of Dave Wickett and celebrating the long-term influences of both the pub and the brewery on todays UK Indie beer scene before looking to the future.

Participants will be provided with two half-pints of Kelham Island beers: the original beer, Kelham Best and the ex-CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain, Pale Rider.

Cost:£4.95 per person

This event is an extra event at SCBF50.

You will need to enter the Beer Festival in advance of the talk. This entry will incur the normal Beer Festival admission fee.