Andy Cullen – Page 112 – CAMRA Sheffield & District

Ruby anniversary festival a terrifying success

Posted on 7 Nov 20147 Nov 2014 by Andy Cullen

The 40^th Steel City Beer and Cider festival which was held over the Halloween weekend was a roaring success with over 13,000 pints of beer and 1000 pints of cider supped by 4500 discerning drinkers. This far exceeded the 2700 that attended Ponds Forge last year and required 25% more beer and cider to be brought in at short notice to satisfy the thirsty drinkers. In fact the festival was such a success that the number of attendees on the Saturday evening had to be limited to ensure there was still been left until the end for those already inside. Even that didn’t work as the festival closed an hour early. This year saw a new venue with the festival moving to Kelham Island Museum at the heart of the Valley of Beer, the Beer Capital’s spiritual home of real ale. The new venue provided an atmospheric setting to celebrate Sheffield and District Branch’s Ruby Anniversary festival. Over 150 different beers from over 50 breweries were available over the weekend along with a range of international bottled beer and traditional cider and perry. Full use of the industrial nature of the venue was made with the beer being split over three bars including the museums own pub, The Millowners, brought to life for the weekend as a proper boozer. In addition the upper hall and a marquee by the river each provided their own unique atmosphere to suit all tastes. Fittingly for the new venue the festival was opened on the Wednesday evening by the Master Cutler, Mr David Grey MBE, with the festival charity this year being Master Cutlers Challenger whose nomination is the Brathay Trust who have a mission to improve the life chances of children and young people. Evening entertainment during the week was provided by the Amelia Carter Band, Soulfaces and Do$ch. Loxley Silver Band brought Saturday afternoon to life going down a storm. Mopping up the beer was a range of food including hog roast, cheese, black pudding, hotdogs (up to 20”), jacket potatoes, chocolate and crisps. Fancy dress Friday this year was brought to life by a horrific range of costumes to celebrate Halloween. A charity quiz was also held to challenge the little grey cells. The first night saw an exhaustive beer tasting of all the beers on sale by brewers, landlords, seasoned drinkers and other hangers on. The final panel saw Cocoa Wonderland from Thornbridge Brewery declared overall champion of the festival. This wonderful ruby, brown 6.8% porter that oozes chocolate from every quarter really deserves the title. Thanks go to all the sponsors who have kindly supported the beer festival and to Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust, whose staff worked tirelessly alongside us, without who the festival would not have been the success it was. Thanks must also go to the brewers, many local, who are producing an amazing array of good quality beer. Some went out of their way to ensure that we still had beer available for sale on the Saturday. Thanks also to the customers who almost drank the festival dry, we hope you return next year to a bigger festival with much more beer. Final thanks must go to the volunteers without whose tireless work putting in up to 16 hour days there would be no festival. Some have been busy over the last 12 months organising the festival to ensure it was an amazing success. A very special thanks go to the volunteers who turned up on the Sunday and Monday to help with take down. 2015, a bigger and better festival Following the success of this year’s festival thoughts now turn to how to make next year’s even better. Obviously more beer is required but that is only the start. The organising committee will be meeting soon to reflect on what went well and what went wrong and work out how to improve the festival next year. Like all CAMRA beer festival the organisation is completely carried out by volunteers and yes we sometimes get things wrong but the feedback from this year’s beer festival has been overwhelmingly positive. Next year we promise it will be better. However we always need more help. If you think you may have skills that could be useful, either working or managing a bar, social media, health and safety, site, marketing, selling sponsorship or even if you don’t think you have anything special to offer but want to help please get in touch at festival@sheffieldcamra.org.uk, all help is much appreciated however small. If you feel like you could promote your business through sponsoring the beer festival then also please get in touch. We hope to announce dates for the 41^st Steel City Beer and Cider festival early in the New Year, so get it in your diary early. Cheers, Rob Carroll Chairman of the 40^th Steel City Beer and Cider Festival Organising Committee Beer of the Festival Winners Overall Champion 1st Thornbridge Cocoa Wonderland 2nd Fernandes Half Nelson 3rd Rat Ratweiller

Toolmakers Brewery

Posted on 7 Nov 201414 Nov 2014 by Andy Cullen

After our very successful first open day we will be holding further ones on the 6^th and 13^th December. Everyone is welcome to come and sample our beers as well as some guest ales. We will not be having an open day in January but will be back on the 7^th February 2015. Our Christmas ales will be available during December, which are Christmas Box 4.2%, a good hoppy blonde full of flavour and Nutcracker 4.2% which is a smooth hoppy blonde with citrus undertones. On our next brew will be a wheat beer so watch this space. We were very pleased that our Black Edge stout at 5.2% won 3^rd place in the last Imperial Brewery beer festival. Remember all our beers can be tried at the Forest adjacent to the brewery on Rutland Road.

Stancill Brewery

Posted on 7 Nov 201414 Nov 2014 by Andy Cullen

The story so far… It has been a year since the great move of the Brewing Equipment from the now demolished Oakwell Brewery in Barnsley to the world famous Real Ale city of Sheffield. This was no easy task! Over 10 tonnes of kit was dismantled, transported and reassembled in just 4 weeks! It was a race against time, with the demolition company on site at Oakwell, and the clock ticking with the 2 week “Get Out” deadline. Anything that was left behind, or not removed in time was to be flattened! Our saving grace was Tim Gill our Managing Director’s father. He has been an engineer all his life, working at another great South Yorkshire institution TATA steel. Tim and a small team of engineers conducted the decommission, transportation and reassemble with faultless precision and speed. Towards the end of the dismantle, the team was forced to work in the dark, without power. The demolition team had cut the electricity supply to the site. Daily we had to fight off the scrap metal merchants coming onto the site attempting to take the copper piping that we use to help cool the fermentation vessels. Things became very heated indeed! Working all through the night for the deadline week, our fantastic team of South Yorkshire engineers freed the last pipes from the condemned site and we left. This was end of an era for Barnsley Bitter brewed in Oakwell, Barnsley since the 1850s. From the ashes of Oakwell, two young lads born and bred in Barnsley, with all the passion and heart of their fellow townsfolk have brought back the Brew after just a 9 months absence from the market. With a hiss and a jeer from many a nay-sayer, we battled through and got our first firkin of Barnsley Bitter, brewed in Sheffield to the Market in February 2014. Two months later, it was crowned the Champion Bitter of Yorkshire 2014. So why did we do it? The same Brewery, the same brewer, the same yeast, the same recipe, but better water. More than that: if you believe you have a top quality brewer, producing the best beer in the country, with the best water in the country and the best ingredients in the country, why wouldn’t you want that real ale to be produced in the most famous real ale city in the world! Stancill Barnsley Bitter. Ingredients: two hearts forged in Barnsley. Made In: the most famous real ale city in the world. Champion Bitter of Yorkshire 2014. From all at Stancill Brewery, a massive thank you to every last one of you who have supported us either with your kind words, messages or just by buying a pint of Stancill. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy 2015 – it’s going to be a big one!

Beer Central celebrates first anniversary

Posted on 7 Nov 201416 Jan 2015 by Andy Cullen

“The bells were ringing in Beer Central last month as they celebrated their first birthday on the 25^th November. It’s been a busy year for the city centre’s bustling bottle shop and with Christmas approaching it’s been a frantic few weeks. Back in early November Beer Central smashed through the 50,000 bottles sold mark, a real landmark for such a young company, but the thirsty folk of Sheffield have really embraced the chance to call in for a few bottles or mini-kegs whilst in or around The Moor Market. Joint owner, Sean Clarke was full of praise for Sheffield, “We were hopeful that the beer community of Sheffield would support our new venture, but the response we’ve had has been phenomenal! Beer lovers, young and old, male and female, of all nationalities have bought a great range of quality real ales and craft beers from us, and local and regional brewers have also benefited as a result.” It’s clear that things continue to buzz down at Beer Central, they’re open Sundays up to Christmas and some late evenings as well. Keep an eye on their Twitter and Facebook feeds for more details and offers, including info on their Christmas gift range. @BeerCentralLtd or www.facebook.com/BeerCentralLtd The latest copies of Beer Matters are also available from their shop.

Peak Hotel, Castleton

Posted on 7 Nov 201415 Nov 2014 by Andy Cullen

The Peak Hotel in Castleton reopened on October 24 after being closed for several weeks to enable a £100,000 refurbishment. Licensee Rick Ellison said: “I have been in the trade since the age of 16 so I care a lot about pubs and the way they are run. Too many pubs are closing these days and I believe that the way a pub is run, the customer service and its retail standards are key to its success.” The Peak Hotel offers homemade food and a selection of Cask Ales.

Beery Bits and Bobs – with Dave Pickersgill

Posted on 7 Nov 20147 Nov 2014 by Andy Cullen

Greene King takes over Spirit Burton-based pub company, Spirit, has agreed to a £774 million takeover from Greene King. In September, Spirit rejected an initial offer, which valued the company at 100p a share. The new offer is 115p/share. Spirit, which was split off from Punch Taverns in 2011, runs the Chef & Brewer, Fayre & Square, Flaming Grill, Good Night Inns, John Barras, Original Pub Company, Taylor Walker and Wacky Warehouse brands. It was originally part of the Bass empire and has over 750 branded, managed pubs throughout the UK and over 450 leased pubs. Sheffield outlets include: Drakehouse Mill (Waterthorpe), Peacock (Owler Bar), Red Lion (Gleadless Town End), Ridgeway Arms (Mosborough) and the Wagon and Horses (Millhouses). ‘STRIKES BOCK’ BEER NAME SPARKS TRADEMARK DISPUTE Star Wars creator George Lucas and Lucasfilm have filed notice to force Empire Brewing in Syracuse, New York, to stop using the name Strikes Bock for a beer it has been brewing for seven years. Empire recently applied for a trademark for the beer, which it previously sold only at its brewpub and now plans to distribute from a larger brewery it is building. “The thing is the beer is called ‘Strikes Bock,’ not ‘Empire Strikes Bock,'” owner Dave Katleski told a local newspaper, “It’s ‘Strikes Bock,’ by Empire.” In its legal argument, Lucasfilm, now owned by the Walt Disney Co., contends that the Empire Brewing beer label could infringe its trademark rights and cause confusion among consumers. BEER, THE FERTILITY DRUG? A study of men whose partners were undergoing In vitro fertilization at Massachusetts General Hospital found that those who drank the equivalent of a pint of beer a day had the best chance of conception. Men who consumed an average of 2.7 alcohol units each day had a 57% chance of the process ending in pregnancy — double that of those whose intake was lower. Health experts have attributed this to alcohol’s ability to temper stress levels, and for those consciously trying for a child, removing some of the pressure during sex could be the key to aiding conception. Speaking at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s conference, Dr. Allan Pacey of the University of Sheffield, agreed: “There has been conflicting data about the benefit or harm of drinking alcohol when trying to conceive. However, I firmly believe that moderate social drinking within guidelines (three to four units per day) can be of benefit for couples trying to conceive… It helps to reduce stress.” Earl Grey Hotel, Sheffield

This half-pint glass bottle is in the privately owned, Hooge Crater Museum (Canadatlan 26, Zillebeke, West Flanders, Belgium). It was found locally on the WW1 Western Front, close to the site of the Hooge Crater. This crater was created by the British when they smuggled 1,700 kg of dynamite into tunnels which ran under the German front line. Detonation occurred on 19th.July 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres. The Earl Grey (97 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield 11) opened in 1833. At the time Charles, 2nd.Earl Grey (1764-1845) was Prime Minister (1830/34). He put through the Wilberforce Act which abolished the African Slave trade. Hence, the pub is highly likely to have been named after the PM. At that time, the location would have been at the edge of the city. It is known that from 1907-1939, the landlord of this Tennants pub was William Jackson Downes. The pub was demolished in the 1980’s as part of the Sheffield Inner Ring Road development. At the time, the Earl Grey was a Whitbread pub. (Whitbread took over Tennants in 1962.) Can anyone tell us how a half-pint bottle from Sheffield made it’s way to this corner of Belgium? It is unlikely that it was full of beer, probably spirits. It was also probably carried by an officer. But, who, and how? Any answers to dpickersgill1@googlemail.com

Abbeydale Brewery

Posted on 7 Nov 201414 Nov 2014 by Andy Cullen

Well I think we can all agree that last months Steel City Beer Festival was a roaring success with a fantastic new venue that really worked and has the potential to grow for future years! Well done guys! Our Full English Breakfast Stout came 2nd in the Stout category, and such has been the positive reaction to the beer, we have included it in our brew plan for 2015!

As you might have seen on our Facebook page and mentioned in an earlier addition, we have recently taken delivery of some rather large, rather shiny new vessels which have increased production capacity to a whopping 240BBLs/week (a smidgen under 70,000 pints/week), and they are now fully commissioned and in use. If you weren’t already aware, it’s that time of year again when the once-a-yearers come out to play and take your favourite spot in your local! To soften the blow, we have these beery treats coming up. First up is Dr Morton’s Rude Elf, a 4.1% pale session beer to placate the angry elf in all of us! A good dose of the NZ hop Rakau gives a burst of tropical fruit, notably passion fruit, on the nose leading to a dry bitter finish.

Continuing on the festive theme, we have Dr Morton’s Christmas Camel, 4.3% and pale it packs a hoppy punch with a combination of five American hops with a pleasant floral aroma. Perfectly balanced and incredibly moreish!

We also have the next release of our Albion Ales series. Following the success of the green hopped Scepter’d Ale and the (previously mentioned) fantastic Full English Breakfast Stout, step forward Jester, a classic Abbeydale style beer, 4.1% and single hopped with the Jester variety. This English hop was grown to try and replicate some of the new world hop flavours that have become so popular over the last few years. Expect plenty of fruity aromas with grapefruit and lychees coming forward. Finally we see the return of Advent, a pale beer, hoppy and well-balanced at 4.6%. Fruity aromas, light caramel flavours with hints of fruit and a lasting bitter finish. Dangerously easy drinking and perfect for the festive period! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you all in 2015! Cheers & Beers!

40th anniversary celebrations – a look back at our 1st beer festival

Posted on 5 Nov 20145 Nov 2014 by Andy Cullen

As the Steel City’s 40th Beer Festival now becomes another happy memory, John Dowd, founder member and former branch chairman, looks back at the first festival in 1975…..

I well remember our branch chairman, Tim Parkin, ringing me up sometime in early 1975 and asking if I would like to organise a beer festival in Sheffield. Nothing remarkable about that, you might think, except that back in those early days of the Sheffield branch none of us had any experience in putting on such an event, although some of us had attended the CAMRA AGM in Nottingham that year where the organisers had put on a small Beer Exhibition. But apart from that we were definitely in our ‘green and salad days’ when it came to beer festivals and the hope was that our enthusiasm would make up for what we lacked in experience. Remember, also, that very few of the CAMRA branches in existence in 1975 had mounted a beer festival – Cambridge was one exception – so CAMRA HQ was not able to offer much advice. However, a small organising committee of John Beardshaw, Tony Scholes and myself was formed and, as the pints flowed during our deliberations, we began slowly to form a plan of action. In the first couple of years of its formation the branch had adopted the Brown Cow on the Wicker as an unofficial HQ and the landlord Harold Godson gave us much useful advice. We were fortunate in receiving help from other quarters as well. The tricky problem of finding a suitable venue was solved when we were granted the use of Tapton Hall, one of Sheffield University’s halls of residence. The premises seemed ideal as it was big enough to accommodate the barrels, serving tables, etc., was surrounded by extensive grounds and on the Crookes bus route. I seem to remember that there were some trees close to the pavement that came in handy for stringing up a few improvised banners and posters that Pete Henshaw produced for us. The Tapton venue meant that it would be a one-day festival but we did get a licence that allowed us to serve throughout the afternoon – something of a novelty back then – and we also put some basic food on. We even had the Al Rogers Jazz Band playing in the evening! Not having any previous experience to rely on, we had little idea of how much beer to order but, according to the archives, we ended up ordering 32 kilderkins of beer, including Milds from Yorkshire Clubs, Robinson and S.H.Ward. Remember that a kilderkin holds 18 gallons so quite a few pints were consumed by closing time. Our crystal ball got it about right as I do not remember having too much beer left at the end of the night. The menu included products from the following breweries: Barnsley Bitter, soon to be strangled to death by John Smith of Tadcaster, Bateman, Ward, Davenport, Hyde, Robinson, Ruddle, Tetley, Yorkshire Clubs, Theakston, Sam Smith and Stones plus the Nottingham beers mentioned below. Sadly, very few of these breweries exist today – remember these were the days of the rise of keg(brewery conditioned) beer and ‘real ale’ was fighting for its life. The branch members were not able to fill the staff rota completely but the Nottingham Branch, which came up and supported us at our inaugural meeting at the Travellers Rest, Holmesfield, in April 1974, again came to our aid. Naturally, we put the Nottingham branch in charge of serving the Nottingham beers(Shipstones, Hardy Hanson and Home ales) which we were able to fit all together in one room. However, we were ignorant of the subtleties of the glass deposit system. We simply issued beer in a glass as you would in a pub and, of course the inevitable happened. Instead of each drinker having just one glass, a fresh glass was issued with each pint served. By the end of the night(we stopped serving at 10.00pm) the bar staff, who had done sterling work washing glasses throughout the day, spent much time after ‘last orders’ searching for glasses, particularly from the lawns and shrubberies, by now in the dark! Nevertheless, everything, apart from one minor incident, went off well and we managed to break even financially, with an entrance fee of 50p, which included a two pint beer voucher! We invited both Stan Crowther, then Mayor of Rotherham(he later became MP for Rotherham), and the Lord Mayor of Sheffield along but only Stan turned up and thoroughly enjoyed himself, knowing that his chauffeur would deliver him safely home at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield missed a seminal event in the branch’s early life. The organisers of the 40th Beer and Cider festival will have plenty of past experience to guide them and help everyone to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Sheffield and District branch. Cheers everyone! Footnote Because of the event’s success at Tapton, we decided to move the 1976 Festival to the ground floor of University House, which was then a students’ refectory and much bigger than Tapton. Indeed, ‘the lower refec’, as it was known, became the venue for many successful beer festivals until well into the 1980s. The Al Rogers band has now morphed into the Jazz Preservation Society(JPS) but still has two musicians who played at Tapton that night: bassist Dave Green and clarinettist Trevor Barnes. The JPS play every Monday at the Norfolk Arms, Ringinglow, but Draught Bass has now been replaced by Abbeydale and Bradfield cask beers.

Dronfield

Posted on 5 Nov 201418 Apr 2020 by Andy Cullen

There are plenty of good real ale pubs in the Dronfield area – both in the town itself and the surrounding villages. There are two core north-south buses, the 43 and 44 operated by Stagecoach, which run from Sheffield to Chesterfield via Dronfield (with the 43 running via Dronfield Woodhouse and the 44 via Coal Aston) complimented during the daytime by TM Travel (14, 15, 16, 16A) operating East-West across Dronfield linking the surrounding villages including Barlow, Holmesfield and Apperknowle. A date for your diary, many of these pubs take part in the annual Three Valleys beer festival with extra beers, food and entertainment laid on and a free bus service from Dronfield station.

Barlow

Hare & Hounds

Commonside Road Friendly, traditional village local with colourful windowboxes and planters on the tiny front terrace. Three rooms, configured round a central bar, comprise a public bar with wooden settles, a front room with a coal fire, and a comfortable back room with panoramic views of the countryside. There is a separate games room. This pub has a strong community feel, though all are made welcome. The landlord has been here for more than thirty years. Beer from Barlow brewery, based in the village, is served via two handpumps. Buses: 16, 16A.

Tickled Trout

Valley Road Recently benefitted from a thorough refurbishment providing a comfortable, contemporary pub-restaurant, the bar has a changing selection of real ales including some from local micro-breweries and the food menu is principally quality Italian with a speciality in fresh fish. Buses: 16, 16A.

Millthorpe

Royal Oak

Cordwell Lane Delightful traditional stone built country pub with main bar and small separate room. Closed for several months and feared it would be turned into a private residence, members of the local community bought it and reopened it as a pub. The beer garden is especially popular with families in summer. Buses: 16, 16A.

Holmesfield

Angel

Main Road Pub with two rooms and a conservatory and a focus on traditional pub food. Buses: 16, 16A.

George & Dragon

Main Road A proper locals pub in the centre of the village with a homely feel. Stone built with two rooms – lounge and snug. Buses: 16, 16A.

Rutland Arms

Cowley Bar An extremely popular traditional country pub with open fires and low beams offering a relaxing, warm and cosy atmosphere. The beer range has increased steadily over the years to six hand pulled cask ales. Finest cask accredited. They also have numerous accreditations for cask ales. Dronfield CAMRA country Pub of the Year 2012. Buses: 16, 16A.

Dronfield Woodhouse

Jolly Farmer

Pentland Road A former Shipstone’s house, the Jolly Farmer was born in the late nineties from the Gorsey Brigg and retains much of the artificial rustic character it was given then. Different levels and alcoves give this large pub a very intimate feel. Buses: 16A, 43.

Miners Arms

Carr Lane Situated in Dronfield Woodhouse this Pub serves the local community. There is a quiz every Tuesday and Thursday evening with all teams welcome and prizes for the winners. Good home cooked food is served lunchtimes and evenings to a high standard. Buses: 16, 16A.

Talbot Arms

Stubley Lane Recently refurbished and re-opened as a food and entertainment pub. Since participating in the Three Valleys Beer Festival, the Talbot has maintained flow through six handpumps. One is reserved for cider – currently Weston’s Old Rosie. Buses: 16, 43, 43A.

Gosforth Fields Pavillion

Bubnell Road A sports club bar open to the public upstairs in a new purpose built building overlooking the facilities. Buses: 16, 43, 43A.

Dronfield Hill Top

Hyde Park Inn

Hilltop Road A traditional country inn on outskirts of Dronfield. Food served Thursday to Sunday – good value, well cooked meals. Nice beer garden in summer months. Quiz night Thursday – well supported. Nice relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff. Occasional live music. Buses: 43, 43A (note at the time of going to press this pub was temporarily closed).

Dronfield Hallowes

Three Tuns

Cemetery Road Twelve beers on handpump. This was the flagship tap for Spire Brewery until the brewery was sold in October 2014, now a selection of up to twelve changing guest Beers are served. The Thee Tuns has been voted “Derbyshire Pub of the Year” for 2013 and the Dronfield and District Cider Pub of 2014! Very popular Wednesday quiz night (9:30). Good honest home-cooked food served with Sunday lunches very popular. Buses: 43, 43A, 44, 44A.

Dronfield Town Centre

Dronfield Arms

Chesterfield Road Previously the Old Sidings Bar, the venue has been refurbished and reborn as the Dronfield Arms real ale pub on the ground floor and restaurant downstairs. There is also a purpose built decking area outside at the rear under the railway bridge that could be ideal for train spotters! Features up to 6 handpumps and a loyalty card for regulars offering a free pint for every 7 purchased. Basic food offer is pies and gourmet pizzas with a blackboard menu of specials usually also available. Buses: 44, 44A. Rail station close by.

White Swan

Chesterfield Road Recently refurbished two room pub. Regular live music, sport on TV and pool table. Buses: 44, 44A. Rail station close by.

Beer Stop

Callywhite Lane Due to open early December, a shop selling bottled beers and draught cask ale with an option to drink inside. Buses: 44, 44A.

Green Dragon

Church Street Historical pub with several small drinking areas in various nooks and crannies! Buses: 16, 16A, 43. Rail station close by.

Manor House

High Street Small and smart hotel bar, tapas food available, one real ale in the form of Abbeydale Moonshine.

Victoria

Stubley Lane A small community local that has recently benefitted from a quality refurbishment that has extended the bar area and beer range. Sport on TV and weekly live music features. Discounted beer on Mondays. Buses: 14, 15, 16, 43.

Coach & Horses

Sheffield Road Small, cosy pub attached to the Sheffield FC football ground and operated by Thornbridge Brewery. Buses: 43, 43A.

Boshaw

Bowshaw Inn (Toby Carvery)

Sheffield Road Everything you expect from a carvery restaurant along with a small bar area with competitively priced national real ale brands available. Buses: 43, 43A.

Coal Aston

Royal Oak

Eckington Road A Cask Marque approved pub, which means you can be assured you’ll be served an excellent pint! A cosy village pub on the main road overlooking the park. Quiz night Mondays. Buses: 14, 44, 44A.

Cross Daggers

Brown Lane A comfortable and welcoming true village local tucked away in Dronfield’s northern edge. The Cross Daggers is a 19th Century pub which has been home to Landlord, Anthony Hutchinson since 2000. The pub proudly carries the Cask Mark Accreditation for excellent beer management. A viewing window in the floor shows the immaculate cellar below. Buses: 14, 44A.

Yew Tree

Holmley Lane Estate pub, one ale – normally Timothy Taylors Landlord, live music at the weekend. Buses: 14, 44A.

Apperknowle

Travellers Rest

High Street What some might call a proper rural pub, sitting on the edge of the village overlooking the Moss Valley with tables outside on the grass, inside the pub has lots of cosy corners and a roaring fire. A range of six real ales on handpump is on the bar, supplemented by a further two beers on gravity at busier times along with a range of traditional ciders (look for the blackboard – these are fetched from the cellar to order). Food is limited to pork pies, cheeses and black puddings (great value sharing platters are available). Buses: 14, 15.

Barrack Inn

Barrack Road Named not after a local barracks but after a ‘barracking bear’. Traditional local pub with up to 4 real ales and a cider. Open evenings only except Sunday when lunches are served. Buses: 14, 15.

Hundall

Miners Arms

Hundall Lane Fantastic rural village pub with three rooms including a TV lounge and pool table area plus a conservatory at the rear. Three real ales at reasonable prices and discounts are available for CAMRA members.

Coach & Horses, Dronfield

Posted on 5 Nov 2014 by Andy Cullen

The Coach & Horses in Dronfield have launched their winter food menu and are now gearing up for a busy Christmas and New Year period. The first event is a Christmas Market, On Sunday 14th December. Come along and buy your Christmas trees, wreaths, cards and unique gifts from local and independent sellers, while enjoying a pint of Thornbridge beer and a mince pie. On Sunday 21st December, from 1 -4pm. Bring the kids along and join the festive fun, they can make their own Christmas cards, tree decorations and gifts. All materials will be provided. There will be Christmas music with mulled wine and homemade mince pies on sale. Christmas Eve, Bring the Kids to meet Santa at The Coach & Horses from 4-6pm. The Bar will be open until 1am. The pub’s open from 12-3pm on Christmas Day, join us for homemade mince pies, roasted chestnuts and a roaring fire On Sunday 28th December Put your grey matter to the test in our fun Christmas Quiz, excellent prizes to be won! See in the new year with live music and party until 1am, free glass of fizz at midnight.