Possibly unusually for a consumer campaign group, we are at our happiest as a branch when we are celebrating what is good in the world of beer on our patch.
Pub of the Month March 2014
Our March Pub of the Month award was presented to the Dog and Partridge on Trippet Lane, Sheffield City Centre on an evening of good beer, music, buffet (including Connor’s excellent home made hot scotch eggs!) a raffle and a space hopper.
Dronfield Pub of the Year
Our Dronfield sub branch meanwhile has awarded their Pub of the Year to the Travellers Rest in Apperknowle on an enjoyable evening that showed off what the pub does – the pub was busy with both locals and CAMRA members from further afield enjoying a friendly proper pub atmosphere, open fire, massive range of real ales and ciders – plus free samples of their entire cheese range and pork pies. This is the only food offered in the Travellers other than crisps etc and a platter of 2 generous portions of speciality cheese, regular size pork pie, pickles and crackers can be enjoyed for £5.50.
Tramlines Special Award
We also presented a special award to Tramlines Festival. This award winning music festival, dubbed the urban Glastonbury, takes over Sheffield City Centre for a long weekend each July with a main stage on Devonshire Green and a number of other key stages in various venues, supported by a very busy programme of free gigs in pubs and bars in the area. A free ‘busker bus’ service, with live music aboard, links the various parts of the festival which also takes in Endcliffe Park and Kelham Island.
The fairly unique thing about Tramlines from our interest though is the beer. Most music festivals aren’t exactly known for good beer, however Tramlines makes an effort in this area too. Each year as part of the publicity in the build up to the festival, they choose a local brewery to produce the official Tramlines real ale and a launch event is held. The beer is available at all the outdoor music and entertainment stages including Devonshire Green, Barkers Pool and the Peace Gardens, the blues venue and various pubs. Additionally the blues venue holds a mini beer festival and of course most of the pubs and bars taking part also have good beer!
We are told this is inspired by the fact the festival organisers office is full of beer drinkers and they point to the two venues they are involved with all year round – The Harley Hotel and the Queens Social Club, both of which have beer from local brewers.
Past Tramlines beers have been brewed by Sheffield Brewery Company and Bradfield Brewery, last year it was Abbeydale’s turn, who invited Sheffield & District CAMRA along with the Tramlines organisers, including festival director Sarah Nulty.
This years Tramlines Festival is to be held from the 25th to 27th July, wristbands are £12 per day which gets you into all the pay venues, more details can be found on their website.