St Mars of the Desert

St Mars of the Desert is run by husband-and-wife team Dann Paquette and Martha Holley-Paquette from a small brewery in Sheffield's Attercliffe neighbourhood. The brewery is deliberately hands-on, with Dann and Martha involved across brewing, packaging, design and serving customers in the taproom.

Before establishing St Mars, Dann and Martha worked together from 2008 to 2016 on Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project in Boston, Massachusetts. That earlier brewing experience helped shape the approach they later brought to Sheffield.

St Mars focuses on beers built around the classic ingredients of barley, hops, yeast and water rather than novelty or gimmicks. Many of its beers take inspiration from European brewing traditions, while pale ales and IPAs also form a regular part of the range.

Everything is produced in small batches and packaged onsite. The beers are left unfiltered, unfined and unpasteurised, and all are vegan. The brewery encourages drinkers to enjoy them fresh and cold, accepting that some releases may be hazier, livelier, more bitter or more fruit-forward than more conventional beers.

The onsite taproom plays an important role in the brewery's identity. Opening most Fridays and Saturdays from March until Christmas Eve, it gives visitors the chance to try new releases at source, including beers that sometimes never make it into wider distribution.

The taproom is intentionally relaxed and inclusive, with simple seating, an outdoor area and a focus firmly on beer. Visitors can often meet Dann and Martha themselves, and brewery tours can be arranged in advance when staffing and production conditions allow.

Despite its small scale, St Mars has received significant recognition. It was named among RateBeer's top ten new breweries in the world in 2020, was selected as Brewery of the Year by Pellicle editor Matt Curtis in 2021, and has also received recognition for its Sheffield taproom.