Good Beer Guide awards

Two pubs in our branch region are celebrating reaching significant milestones in terms of consecutive years included in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide. The annual book aims to guide drinkers to those pubs serving the finest beer available, and the Fat Cat on Alma Street and the Commercial in Chapeltown have now been included for the last 30 and 20 years respectively. The Fat Cat is well-known to real ale drinkers from Sheffield and afar, and was the first pub in the city to introduce cask beers from different parts of the country. This was back in the early 1980s, when real ale was still very much a very affair. Under the stewardship of the late Dave Wickett, followed by his son Ed, the pub has gone from strength to strength, showcasing beers from the Kelham Island Brewery next door, along with a carefully curated selection of guest ales. The presentation of their 30-year award will be made following the branch meeting there on 8 January (meeting begins at 8pm). Meanwhile, the Commercial is a well-established free house, long thought of as one of the best pubs in north Sheffield. Under licensee Paul Menzies, it has now appeared in every edition of the Good Beer Guide since 1999. There are six real ales on offer at the Commie – Abbeydale Moonshine is always available, alongside five local and regional guest beers, one of which is usually a porter or stout. Real cider is also available. We hope to arrange the presentation of their award early in the New Year; more details will be announced once the arrangements have been finalised. Congratulations to both pubs, and we wish them continued success! The process for selecting our entrants for the Good Beer Guide 2020 should begin in the next few weeks, so keep an eye on our website and social media or come along to a branch meeting to find out more.

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