Ale & Radio takes beer and music from the airwaves to the high street with Sheffield indie beer shop

Sheffield, September 2026 — Beer and music radio station Ale & Radio has made the leap from broadcasting from a Sheffield pub shed to opening its first permanent home: the Ale & Radio Indie Beer Shop in Chapeltown, north Sheffield.

The shop is now open and trading at 12B Station Road, following the takeover and transformation of long-established specialist retailer La Di Da. An official launch and ribbon cutting will take place on Saturday 26 September, with members of the Ale & Radio Club joining the celebrations.

Ale & Radio was launched in April 2024 by James ‘Jimbo’ Wilmshurst, alongside a team of regular contributors, as a 24-hour online radio station broadcasting from his pub shed in Sheffield.

Built around a shared love of independent beer and music, the station combines music programming with beer features, interviews, brewery stories and contributions from beer enthusiasts around the UK.

Since launching, Ale & Radio has passed 100,000 streams and worked with breweries, beer festivals and independent businesses across the country. The new shop gives the project its first permanent physical home and brings its beer, music and broadcasting elements together under one roof.

Jimbo said:

“Ale & Radio started in my pub shed as an idea to combine two things I love — beer and radio. I don't think I imagined at the beginning that a couple of years later we'd have an actual Ale & Radio shop.

“We've now taken that idea out of the shed and onto the high street. I want the shop to be somewhere that's fun to visit and where people can discover something different — whether that's a beer they've never tried before, something from a local independent brewery or even some new music.”

The premises have undergone a substantial refurbishment and rebrand, introducing Ale & Radio's distinctive black and yellow identity and bringing a strong music and broadcasting influence to the shop.

Beer sits at the heart of the new-look business, with an increased emphasis on independent breweries and a regularly changing range. Customers can expect pales and IPAs, craft lagers, stouts and porters, sours, Belgian and German beers, world beers and craft cider, alongside a large selection of chilled cans and bottles to take away.

A Beer of the Month will also give customers the opportunity to sample a beer in store before deciding whether to buy it, helping make discovery and conversation an important part of the experience.

The shop continues to stock a range of specialist wines and spirits, while its established cigar business has been retained as La Di Da Cigars, operating as a dedicated department within Ale & Radio.

The premises will also become the new physical home of the Ale & Radio station. A radio studio-inspired broadcasting area has been incorporated into the shop, with plans to use the space for live broadcasts, recordings, brewery conversations and other beer and music content.

Beer, music and Chapeltown

The location itself is an important part of the new venture.

Chapeltown sits in north Sheffield, close to High Green, where Arctic Monkeys formed, giving the area a connection to one of Sheffield's biggest musical success stories.

Ale & Radio hopes to celebrate more of that musical heritage through the shop while playing its own small part in putting Chapeltown on the map and championing the independent businesses already operating in the area, including The Sheffield Distillery.

Chapeltown also provides a useful location for a specialist retailer hoping to attract customers from beyond its immediate neighbourhood. The shop is close to the M1 and a short walk from Chapeltown railway station, with connections towards Sheffield city centre, Barnsley, Leeds and Huddersfield.

Jimbo said:

“I think Chapeltown is a great location for what we're trying to create. We're close to the M1, we've got a train station just down the road and you can get here easily from Sheffield, Barnsley and further afield.

“There's also a brilliant story to tell about this part of Sheffield. Arctic Monkeys came from just up the road in High Green, and I'd love us to celebrate that connection more.

“Chapeltown has its own identity and some great independent businesses. Hopefully Ale & Radio can play a small part in giving people another reason to come here and discover what's happening in north Sheffield.”

The opening represents a major career change for Jimbo, who has left his previous employment to concentrate on Ale & Radio and the shop full-time.

He may also be familiar to Sheffield football supporters after spending more than 20 years performing as Sheffield Wednesday mascot Barney Owl, a role he recently stepped away from as he prepared to concentrate on the new venture.

Plans for the shop include developing its beer and wine ranges further alongside tastings, brewery collaborations, broadcasts and other events, with the aim of creating a space where beer, music and the local community can meet.

Although the Ale & Radio Indie Beer Shop is already open and trading, its official launch takes place on Saturday 26 September 2026, with a ribbon-cutting celebration involving members of the Ale & Radio Club, the station's supporter community.

Ale & Radio will continue broadcasting online alongside the shop, with the Chapeltown premises providing a new base from which both sides of the project can continue to grow.

Notes to editors

Ale & Radio launched in Sheffield in April 2024 as a 24/7 online radio station bringing together music and independent beer. The station has since passed 100,000 streams and has worked with breweries, beer festivals and independent businesses around the UK.

Founder James ‘Jimbo’ Wilmshurst is a member of the British Guild of Beer Writers.

Ale & Radio Indie Beer Shop

12B Station Road

Chapeltown

Sheffield

For further information please contact Jimbo Wilmshurst via jimbo@aleandradio.co.uk.

Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.