Knife maker's son 'staggered' by logo complaint

The son of Sheffield knife maker Stan Shaw said he was "staggered" that a beer logo created in his father's memory had been discontinued.

The tap clip used for "Stan", an ale named after the last of the little mesters cutlery makers, had on it a cartoon image of Mr Shaw holding a knife.

This, along with the specially designed ornamental knife handle used to pour the beer, led to a complaint that the branding encouraged violence.

Kevan Shaw said: "I'm staggered. To claim that [it] glorifies or incites knife crime is staggering, especially knowing who my dad was, and his legacy."

Kevan said his father was a "proper, apprentice-trained little mester" who kept working into his nineties.

The beer was launched in 2022 by the Little Mesters Brewing company, a year after Stan Shaw died, aged 93.

Kevan said a knife like the one in the image is "a work of art, a collector's piece traded through auction".

"They are craftsmen. That knife would go at auction for £1,500 to £2,000."

The complaint was upheld by alcohol industry regulator The Portman Group, which said a drink should not suggest any association with violence.

Ben Shaw, director of Little Mesters Brewing, of no relation to Stan Shaw, said he was "devastated" by the decision.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.