Category: Awards

The Fargate opened in the centre of Sheffield in October 2025, to much fanfare. It is a joint venture between Bakewell-based brewery Thornbridge, and York-based beer importer and pub operator Pivovar.

The building was constructed by the Yorkshire Penny Bank, and opened in 1889. The upper floors were occupied by the Albany Hotel, a ‘temperance house’ which provided an alcohol-free environment. Fortunately for us, well over 100 years later you can now finally purchase real ale from one of ten pumps on site.

A lengthy £1m renovation was undertaken on the building prior to the Fargate opening. The ground floor is high-ceilinged and decked out in dark wood with an impressive central horseshoe-shaped bar. There are several booths, banquette seating and a snug, all with leather seats. A spiral staircase leads upstairs to a rather different space with more contemporary seating and reclaimed wooden-panelled walls. A pizza kitchen upstairs serves food to the whole pub. In the basement, on the way to one of the bathrooms, you can spot the former bank’s vault which is still in place and used as storage – the Fargate is home to perhaps the safest beer in the city. In May they added several outdoor tables to the front, where drinkers can catch some afternoon sun.

A staff of around 25 under manager Adam Swithenbank and deputy Kieron Lake serve the 300-capacity pub. Across the ten cask lines, six are Thornbridge’s own with the remainder being guests. The 16 keg lines are split with Thornbridge having half, and the remainder divided between some guest craft beer and other lagers or wheat beers. 

The Fargate is a welcome addition to the town centre, in an area which is still undergoing major renovations. Join us to celebrate their award on 9 June from 8pm.

One of Sheffield’s newer micropubs, No.3 was opened by Loxley Brewery owner Stephen Wesley in a former Sharrow Vale shop in November 2024.

It’s named not for its street address but that it’s the third of Loxley’s pubs, after the Wisewood Inn in Loxley and the Raven in Walkley – another recent PotM winner. We visited No.3 as part of our recent Ecclesall Road social and it proved a hit with members, resulting in their win as our Pub of the Month for May.

The micropub is a single wood panelled room with an impressive central bar, made of yew and oak from Grenoside. There is window seating and larger tables in the front, and church pew seating in the rear of the venue. A bench outside offers limited seating in warmer months – and at the end of summer 2025 an air conditioning unit was installed to provide a more literally chilled atmosphere.

Manager Joe and his team curate a large music playlist which is played low to provide a cosy background to the quiet adults-only space. The micropub attracts locals and also diners from the many nearby restaurants.

The ‘cellar’, a small shed located outside to the rear of the premises, provides three lines of changing Loxley real ale. There are also seven keg lines with four lines of guest craft keg from a range of local and national breweries. Alongside these there are regular lines of a cider, Dortmunder Vier, and Loxley’s Black Dog milk stout.

No.3 is a welcome addition to Sharrow Vale and the thriving Sheffield micropub scene, and this award is well deserved. Join us at the bar at 8pm on Tuesday 12 May to share a beer with the team and celebrate.

The Gardeners Rest on Neepsend Lane is our April Pub of the Month. Sitting on the River Don, the pub has long been a favourite with local real ale drinkers and continues to attract both regulars and visitors to the area.

The pub dates from 1898. After significant flood damage in 2007 the building underwent refurbishment before reopening in 2009, and in 2017 it was purchased by the Gardeners Rest Community Society, making it Sheffield’s first community-owned pub. The 382 initial investors raised over £237000 between them, and in the years since their numbers have increased to over 430.

The pub is split into several areas. There is a main bar area where music events are held regularly, and to the left of the entrance is a small billiards room in the former dram shop. To the rear is a conservatory which leads out into an eclectically decorated garden overlooking the Don.

Up to six cask ales are typically available, with a regularly changing lineup sourced from independent breweries from across the country. CAMRA members can receive a discount.

The Gardeners Rest is well known for its community focus, hosting live music, quizzes and a range of local events throughout the year, including beer festivals. They are also the host for Sheffield & District CAMRA’s beer festival planning meeting in preparation for Steel City each year.  With its welcoming atmosphere, varied beer selection and strong ties to the neighbourhood, it is a deserving recipient of our Pub of the Month award.

Join us for a beer and the presentation of the award at the pub on 21 April from 8pm.