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Woodseats & Norton Lees

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Woodseats is a suburb sitting on the A61 heading South out of Sheffield towards Dronfield and Chesterfield at a higher altitude than the City Centre and hosts a number of shops, pubs and restaurants on the main road. Buses 24/25, 43/44, 75/76/76a and X17 go there from the City Centre via either Heeley or Abbeydale Road. Norton Lees is a residential area uphill from Woodseats with bus 18 providing a ride up and down the steep hill!

Boston Arms

A micropub offering locally roasted coffee and bakes during the day, and a selection of beers, wines, spirits, and cocktails in the evening, including three changing cask beers and eight craft keg lines. Pizzas served some evenings.

Woodseats Palace

Single level, open plan Wetherspoon pub comprising a large number of tables but with a more relaxed area to the right.

Mesters Tap

Micropub under the new ownership of Little Mesters Brewing with the beer range running to 5 kegs and 2 casks showcasing both their own beers and guest brewers.

Chantrey Arms

Popular local, bearing the name of the great Norton born sculptor. Although open plan, the layout splits the pub into separate drinking areas. Regular live music at weekends.

Big Tree

Large Greene King pub fronted by tabled patio area and beech tree. Features smartly furnished open plan lounge with pool area to the right. Popular with young people of all ages!

Guzzle Micropub

New and popular micropub offering five regularly changing real ales, mostly from local breweries, e.g. Emmanuales, Fuggle Bunny, Sheffield Brewery Company, Abbeydale, Toolmakers, Little Critters, Stancill … and the list goes on!

Abbey

Former coaching inn at the busy Chesterfield Road/Abbey Lane Junction, comprising comfortable lounge and separate public bar. An extensive tabled patio area overlooks the delightful bowling green.

Cross Scythes

Large pub with smart lounge, separate tap room with darts and pool, and a function room. A further children’s room is open in summer. Large outdoor area with children’s play equipment. Four regularly changing cask beers, and Facebook posts provides updates of what’s on and what’s coming.

Mount Pleasant

Small, welcoming two roomed pub housed in a former quarryman’s cottage built in 1820, and largely unspoilt by progress. The two rooms comprise a public bar to the right of the entrance and a comfortable quieter lounge where the Whisky Club meets. There are two quiz nights weekly, a darts team and a fishing club. There are also occasional beer festivals. The current licensee is only the eleventh since 1841. A genuine community pub where time has arguably stood still. The guest beers are provided under Punch’s “Finest Cask” initiative and through SIBA.

Also in Woodseats…. is Herd, a mini food hall and bar. No real ale available but there are usually a couple of craft beer options on the keg taps.

Inn Brief

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Kate & Josh Barnsley have recently taken over the management of the Cross Scythes at Norton Woodseats. Local, John Stocks comments ‘They have done a remarkable job in dressing the pub and making it welcoming, and are passionate about saving the Cross Scythes as a community hub’. We wish them good luck and hope their venture succeeds.

Josh Barnsley behind the bar at the Cross Scythes, Norton Woodseats. Photo: John Stocks

The White Hart at Bradwell have announced they are under new ownership – it was previously an Admiral Taverns lease; it is now owned by Bradfield Brewery and features a range of their beer.

Jon & Mandy have handed in their notice to end the lease on the White Lion in Heeley and will be leaving in April. Their business, having survived the lockdowns, now faces the triple whammy of customers tightening their purse strings due to the cost of living crisis, significantly increased energy bills impacting the cost of running the pub and their sole tied supplier, Heineken, significantly increasing their prices. Star Pubs & Bars will be looking for someone new to take on the pub’s lease. The White Lion has been in good hands under Jon & Mandy’s stewardship, with well kept beer, community values, a friendly atmosphere and live entertainment most nights. We wish them both well for the future!

The Dog & Partridge on Trippet Lane celebrates the tenth anniversary under the current management this year and are throwing a party on Friday 10 February. Keep an eye on their social media for details.

Alder bar reopened on 18 January following a new year break and are running some promotional prices on rounds of drinks during the six weeks up to March, including a four pints for £12 deal on cask ale. The weekly quiz night is back and a number of live music gigs are planned.

Voting and surveying for our Sheffield & District Pub of the Year competition is now underway, as is the selection process for pubs to be awarded places in the 2024 edition of the Good Beer Guide. All our local CAMRA members are invited to take part in the process. Please look out for an email with details if your contact preferences are set to permit this or come along to the February branch meeting.

Abbeydale Brewery

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Happy New Year to you all! We hope 2023 is treating you well so far. We’ve got plenty of new cask beers available, so hopefully there’s something for everyone to enjoy a pint or two of while supporting their local pub!

First up, it went down so well during Sheffield Beer Week 2022 that we’ve brought back Sheffield Rocks in time for 2023’s festivities (6-12 March). A 4.1% heritage pale ale given our own modern twist. A balanced beer, completely characterised by drinkability and made using all UK ingredients including UK grown Pilgrim and Cascade hops.

Salvation – Irish Stout (4.5%) is also making a return; classic and moreish with a smooth, roasted malt character and soft notes of chocolate and coffee; bitter and sweet in perfect balance. 

The above two beers will also be available in keg and can as well as cask, but we’ve got some cask-only releases on the way during February too – Doctor Morton’s Non-Stick will be an Abbeydale classic 4.1% pale ale with Citra, Columbus and Chinook hops; and from our new stained glass themed series we have Renaissance, hopped with Eureka in the whirlpool for a bright bitterness and resinous notes sitting harmoniously alongside a stone fruit character. 

Cheers!

Nights out to become unaffordable?

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Commenting on the latest ONS data on inflation, CAMRA National Chair Nik Antona said:

“We’re all keen to visit our much-loved pubs and social clubs this festive season, but this data shows just how much households will struggle to enjoy a night out with friends, family, or colleagues. Huge rises in the fixed costs paid by pubs – including energy bills – mean that they have no choice but to increase prices, despite doing everything they can to continue to welcome their customers, and this data showing that other parts of the economy are starting to see inflation slow.  

“It’s unacceptable that the on-trade has been left behind by Government in this way. It’s now urgent that energy bill support is announced for beyond April 2023, and that the inflationary general duty rise is cancelled.”

Plea for brewery energy bill help

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The Campaign for Real Ale is making a plea to the Chancellor to confirm before Christmas that breweries, pubs and hospitality businesses will receive support with their rocketing energy bills when the current scheme runs out in April 2023. 

It comes after a string of announcements in recent months of small, local and independent breweries closing down as they can’t make ends meet. 

Research by Steve Dunkley of Manchester-based Beer Nouveau has revealed that dozens of breweries have closed their doors in 2022.  

Brewers, and the wider pub sector, face a Christmas of uncertainty as the Government has failed to make key announcements about economic support and fiscal arrangements in 2023.  

The sector is anxiously awaiting news on which businesses will get energy bill support past April, as well as a decision on whether or not general beer duty will be uprated next year (which could see huge inflationary rises in the price of a pint at the bar), leaving brewers and publicans in the dark.  

CAMRA’s campaign has now reached the House of Commons where Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Pub Group Charlotte Nichols MP has submitted parliamentary questions to the Chancellor and Business Secretary asking for support with energy costs to help stop more pubs and breweries having to call last orders for good. 

Commenting, Steve Dunkley of Beer Nouveau said: 

“It is deeply worrying to see scores of small breweries announcing in recent weeks that they are having to close down for good due to the soaring costs of both making beer and keeping pubs open. 

“Coupled with customers tightening their belts and the risk of energy bills rocketing when the Government support scheme ends next year, these closures could go through the roof if the Government doesn’t offer urgent support to save this crucial part of British brewing.” 

Charlotte Nichols MP commented: 

“With pubs and other hospitality businesses facing a cliff edge in support for a crisis that will last long beyond April, it’s vital that Government give the trade some certainty over the festive period. The risk of spiralling future energy costs will leave licensees and brewers in limbo as they try to mitigate the impact of consumers being forced to tighten their belts. There are a huge range of measures that the Chancellor and Business Secretary could take to support pubs and I look forward to hearing from them both about their plans.” 

CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona added: 

“Small and independent breweries have been a huge success story for the UK economy over the past 30 years, employing local people and reviving the UK’s beer scene and massively increasing the choice of tasty and distinctive brews for drinkers.  

“If we are to make sure that our beloved breweries can survive and thrive, then the Government urgently need to give brewing and pub and club businesses certainty and make key announcements about ongoing energy bill support and freezing general beer duty as soon as possible. 

“CAMRA are also calling for venues to receive more help with the burden of business rates – and for the new, lower rate of duty charged on draught beer and cider to be introduced as quickly as possible to help pubs and small, independent breweries.” 

Sources of information on brewery closures: 

Parliamentary Questions submitted by Charlotte Nichols MP are as follows and are due for answer by 19th December: 

  • To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to extend the Energy Bill Relief Scheme beyond April 2023 for hospitality businesses; and if he will make a statement. 
  • To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what support he plans to provide to (a) pubs, (b) social clubs (c) breweries and (d) cider and perry producers for the cost of energy once the Energy Bill Relief Scheme ends; and if he will make a statement. 
  • To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what recent assessment he has made of the rate of closure of small and independent breweries in the UK in the last 6 months. 

Peacock, Stannington

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Jamie Tuxford and Brad Welsh, co-hosts at the Peacock, Stannington, provided the opportunity for regulars to meet-the-brewer as part of their autumn programme. The evening was hosted in the pub’s conservatory and attracted a strong turnout.

There was a presentation by Harry Brunt (Thwaites’ experienced brewer) accompanied by Louise Watson (head of customer relations) and the publicity team. There was the opportunity to handle the ingredients and ask questions. Attendees were treated to samples from the core range including Original, Gold and IPA. Each beer was paired with hot food specially prepared by Brad and his team. The pub has recently gained the accolade of Thwaites’ Area Winner for Best Pub Food Provider.

Future plans for practically-minded cask ale enthusiasts include an opportunity to be involved in a brew at the local Blue Bee Brewery. The pub offers the core Thwaites’ range accompanied by two guest beers which have recently included Marston’s Pedigree and Bradfield’s Belgian Blue. Thursday is Cask Ale Night with cask beers reduced by 30p. The pub also hosts a popular Tuesday evening quiz commencing at 8pm.

Steel City Brewing

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Steel City’s latest brew is, would you believe, a collaboration… their cuckoo brewing caught the eye of Bulgaria’s Alchemik, who cuckoo brew at Sofia Electric and another smaller site. Alchemik are best known for their dessert sours, so the three-way collab (Lost Industry being the third brewery) is a lemon cheesecake sour. The brew features a lot of oats for the biscuity base taste of the cheesecake, followed by lactose, vanilla and lemon zest. Fermentation was with Voss kveik yeast, a new one to the UK breweries but standard for Alchemik, so who were we to argue!

Yellowcake is out now in keg and can. Steel City and Lost Industry are off to Sofia in February for the return collabs, namely an imperial version of Yellowcake and a new dessert sour yet to be decided – both versions should make their way to the UK, along with a few of Alchemik’s other puddingy wares.

Nothing else may have been brewed for a while, but some barrels have been sitting quietly in the corner for eight or nine months, and were opened just in time for December. Firstly, Astral Mariner Baltic porter had been in a brandy barrel, emerging as Rime of the Ancient Astral Mariner.

Shortly afterwards, a big imperial stout went into brandy and rum barrels, emerging as Cask of the Red Death and Rum to the Hills respectively. All three are out now in keg and can and will be available in cask exclusively at the Shakespeares’ festival in January. There is also a single mega-blend (40% Rime, 40% Hills and 20% Red Death) at Shakespeares.

Other 2023 plans include a collaboration with Ukrainian brewery Didko to raise more funds for Brew for Ukraine – Didko also entered a can each of Steel City’s two previous fundraising beers into a charity auction, raising over £100 for the cause.

The Good Beer Guide 50th edition

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The Guide, which surveys 4,500 of the best pubs across the UK, is the definitive beer drinker’s guide to the very best pints in the most picturesque and friendly pubs. Compiled by thousands of independent volunteers, it helps identify significant trends and themes across the pub sector. 

The 50th anniversary edition features a new cover design by Neil Gower, a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales (22 August 2022) and an introduction to each region by Laura Hadland – award-winning author of 50 Years of CAMRA. It brings together pub and brewery information for the first time, making it easier than ever before to find your next local brew 

The first edition in 1972 was just 96 pages in length and listed around 1,500 pubs with a brewery section covering just 105 brewing companies. Today, the Good Beer Guide features 1,864 breweries across the nation. 

Just five pubs across the UK have made it into each edition of the Guide – known as the “famous five”. These pubs include the Star Tavern and the Buckingham Arms in London, the Roscoe Head in Liverpool, the Square & Compass in Dorset and the Queen’s Head in Newton, Cambridgeshire. 

To be listed in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide is a fantastic achievement for a pub. The Guide is based entirely on personal recommendations made by local CAMRA members, which are rigorously reviewed by branches and editors. 

Recommendations consider beer quality as well as the history and architecture of a pub and various aspects such as food, gardens, family and disabled facilities and special events. CAMRA does not take any fees for listings to ensure the guide remains independent and unbiased. 

CAMRA’s National Chairman Nik Antona said: “It is a huge achievement that we’re able to celebrate 50 years of publishing the Good Beer Guide, and a real testament to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, who undertake the assessments. 

“What makes the Guide unique is that all the entries are compiled and vetted by a huge volunteer team based around the country. We work hard to ensure that all areas of the country are covered and, unlike some competitor titles, inclusion in this book is dependent on merit – not on payment. 

“The last few years have been an incredibly difficult time for the industry, and we need more support than ever before to keep our nation’s pubs open and thriving. I’d encourage everyone to use this year’s Guide to visit the very best pubs across the UK and support them for generations to come.” 

The Good Beer Guide, sponsored this year by Cask Marque, is set to be published on 27 October 2022. Paul Nunny, Director of Cask Marque said: “Cask Marque has sponsored the Good Beer Guide for a number of years, because it is important that we recognise great pubs with a CAMRA endorsement. 50 years of actively supporting our industry is a great achievement and coincides with Cask Marque championing beer quality for 25 years!” 

To order, visit the CAMRA online shop. 

Sheaf View

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We’ve been busy sourcing some excellent beer for our second Winter Ales Festival. We’re confident that all bases are covered, there will be traditional styles, hop forward, unfined, soupy numbers, along with a healthy dose of ridiculous imperial keg beer, (that will be offered in ⅓ pints) There will be delicious pizza from Sunshine Pizza Oven to soak it all up and music playing in the beer garden to dance it off, if you’re that way inclined!

Here are some of the splendid breweries, old and new, that we’re lucky enough to be showcasing…

  • Neepsend Brew Co… We are very proud to have been affiliated with these guys from day one. Their fresh, generously hopped pales have always been a hit. We’ve barged our way into the brewery and chucked a handful of Sabro hops into a cask of their Radogost, hazy IPA and shoved some Cascade hops into their (award winning!!) session New England, Myron. They don’t do stouts as often, but my gosh… when they do!! We dug out a keg of Gogmagog from the back of the cold store, a 9% tonka and vanilla stout, brewed back in December 2020. It was exceptional back then, we’re hoping it’s even better now.
  • Torrside! Brewing in New Mills since 2015, we were late to the Torrside party, having first served their beer at our summer festival this year… We’re making up for lost time! They are masters of any style they turn their hand to, but boy do they know how to do smoked beer! I’m off to the brewery to collect a cask of “Persist and Resist”, a 5.6% ESB with beach, oak and cherrywood smoked malt. Ok, they do deliver to Sheffield, but who’d turn down a day out in the High Peak, a nose around the brewery and chance to swap my hard earned wages for some bottles of exceptional, small batch beer, the likes of which I may never taste again?!
  • Bang The Elephant. They’ve been on the scene since 2017, we were lucky enough to get some of their early brews through swaps with Neepsend. I remember doing a double take at their name, but it didn’t take me long to realise that this brewery deserved a name as bizarre as its beers! Don’t get me wrong, they do a banging APA, DIPA etc, however, adjuncts, barrel aged impy stouts are particularly their bag. We’ve got our hands on a keg of “WACK!” a 10.6% bourbon barrel aged Belgian Quad style beer. BtE themselves have described this beer as “A freak of Nature” so we’re certainly in for a treat!
  • Marble, celebrating their 25th birthday this year! My real ale drinking career (hobby, habit, whatever) started down south in the early 2000’s in a Young’s pub, so you can imagine my delight at moving up north and trying Marble beer for the first time. They were trailblazing then, but unlike many similar breweries, they’ve kept up with the trends and continue to be awesome! We have a cask of “Ogden’s Foreign Extra Stout” the winner of a home brew competition. It’s gone on to win at Stockport Beer Festival, so there is no doubt we’re on to a winner!
  • Lost Industry, the Sheffield legends! If it can be brewed, it shall!! Egged on by their mates (Steel City, Beer Ink, Weird Beard and many more!) they will brew owt, from a sensible oatmeal stout to an Iron Brew sour… and a lot in between!! We’ve got a cask of Watermelon Wheat Beer. I’m not sure it should be in a cask, but it is and we shall enjoy it!
  • Big Trip , new kids on the block! (well, sort of) This lovely duo have hailed from Night Jar (previously Slightly Foxed). I’m not sure where we found them. They don’t seem to be on the internet yet (the epitome of hipster!) They’re from Manchester(ish) and their beers are juicy, hoppy delights!

The beers mentioned are guaranteed to be on, but we also have a load of favourites from the likes of Ashover, Pentritch, Distant Hills, Mallinsons, Triple Point and many more!

We hope to see you all there!

Jo

The Winter Ales festival takes place at the Sheaf View from 4pm on Friday 11 November and on Saturday 12 November. The pub can be found at 25 Gleadless Road in Heeley. Nearest bus routes are 20/24/25/43/44/X17 on London Road or alternatively buses 1a/11/18/252 on Prospect Road.