True North

When Kane Yeardley bought an old, disused Sheffield warehouse in 1992 and transformed it into what became one of the city’s best-loved venues – The Forum – he could only have dreamed that it would one day be part of a chain of eight successful venues across Yorkshire, including a thriving brewery and gin distillery

Having renamed the company from Forum Cafe Bars to True North Brew Co earlier this year, Kane now presides over an exciting and multifaceted business. Along the way though, it has retained its values and preserved the individual identities of its venues: The Forum, The Common Room, The Old House, The York, The Broadfield, The Crown & Anchor and The British Oak have been joined by The Riverside and the upcoming The Blue Stoops and Walkley Library.

Along with the growth of its venues, True North Brew Co has opened itsown Sheffield city centre brewery and gin distillery, having produced high quality beers on another site.

In 2015, award-winning head brewer Bob Phaff came on board, leading the development of an extended range of regular beers for cask, keg and – in time – bottles and cans. As if this were not enough to keep them busy, True North then extended its produce with its own Sheffield Dry Gin, the first gin to be distilled and bottled in Sheffield in over 100 years.

True North’s Sheffield Dry Gin is a distinctly Yorkshire Gin, using a unique blend of Sheffield water and a range of locally-sourced botanicals including dried juniper, bilberries, gentian, Sheffield Honey and Hendersons Relish. 

As the popularity and demand of the Gin grew, True North promoted Ben Schulze as their Gin Specialist and, along with the gin’s development, he began roasting True North’s own blend of coffee. As Ben has perfected the blend, it has found their way into True North venues, so next time you’re having a True North coffee, you’ll know if was roasted at most, twenty miles away.