The Sheaf View at Heeley has again been voted as CAMRA Sheffield & District Pub of the Year (Sheffield South) by our members. The award was presented on Thursday 19 March.
The 19th century pub, near Heeley City Farm became a real ale oasis since reopening as a free house in 2000. The walls and shelves are adorned with breweriana and provide an ideal background for good drinking and conversations.
The pub changed ownership becoming part of the Trust Inns estate (along with the Blake Hotel) in 2022. Day-to-day management however has remained unchanged. The pub was refurbished both internally and externally in the summer of 2024, ready for its 25th Year of trading.
They provide eight casks ales, four from Neepsend Brewery (Celebrating its 10th birthday last year) and four guest ales. A wide range of Belgian and other continental beers, an incredible selection of malt whiskies and traditional cider are also available.
They also have occasional events such as beer festivals and live music sessions.
This June, Fri 19 – Sun 21 will see their 31st Birthday Beer Festival. This is the summer edition of their regular beer festival and will feature a pop up bar in the conservatory and further festival beers in the kiosk outside. Great beer and music guaranteed.
This is a popular local pub and especially so on Wednesday quiz nights and Sheffield United match days.
The Sheaf View has now won the Sheffield South Pub of the Year award six times since the area awards were started in 2019.
As a real haven for cider lovers in the city, it’s no surprise that The Old Shoe has again been crowned our Cider Pub Of The Year.
Despite only being open for 3 years, it has become a popular destination in the city centre for fans of cider, beer and wine alike, thanks to co-owners Mike Pomranz and Matt Beety.
Mike brings his experience running The Cider Hole, previously at Shalesmoor, and Matt also owns micropub The Bear on Abbeydale Road.
A recent revamp has increased the amount of seating to accommodate it’s rising popularity.
21 taps and 2 cask lines, dispense a wide range of drinks, including 5 ciders, and some low alcohol options. Wine lovers can choose from an incredible 13 options by the glass, and there’s usually a mead on offer too!
Join us on Wednesday 13th May when we present their award. The evening starts at 8pm with the actual presentation at 9.
The Rising Sun at Nether Green has been voted Pub of the Year for the Sheffield West area.
There was some stiff competition from other pubs in this area, but the Rising Sun won out thanks to it’s large and varied beer range, excellent facilities and it’s focus on the local area.
The pub is owned by Abbeydale Brewery,which explains the large number of their beers on the bar, although several handpumps and keg taps are given over to guest brewers from around the country.
As part of the presentation evening, we arranged a well-attended tasting session featuring 5 beers from Abbeydale, and hosted by Online Sales Manager Edd Entwistle. Edd has been with the brewery for over 5 years, having previously been the owner/brewer of Hopjacker Brewery in Dronfield.
We were treated to 1/3 pint samples of five beers – Moonshine (4.3% Pale Ale); Deception (4.1% NZ Pale Ale); Absolution (5.3% Golden Ale); Daily Bread (3.8% Bitter) and the cask version of Heathen (4.1% American Pale Ale).
The attendees were also given Abbeydale own tasting sheets to score the beers, and one sheet was pulled out at random to award a free pint to its lucky owner.
A great time was had by everyone, and following a mass move in to the main bar, the award for Sheffield West Pub of the year was presented to manager Gary and his team.
ALL OUR PUB OF THE YEAR WINNERS…
North Sheffield – the Blake, Walkley (presentation date TBA)
East Sheffield – Chantry Inn, Handsworth (presentation 21 May)
South Sheffield – Sheaf View, Heeley (presentation 19 March)
West Sheffield – Rising Sun, Nether Green (presentation 31 March)
Sheffield City Centre – Dog & Partridge (presentation 28 April)
Sheffield Kelham Island & Neepsend – Kelham Island Tavern (presentation 30 June)
District (Derbyshire) – Red Lion, Litton (presentation 18 April)
Cider Pub of the Year – Old Shoe, Sheffield City Centre (presentation 13 May)
Club of the Year – Crookes Social Club (presentation 5 June)
Crookes Club on Mulehouse Road in Crookes, has again been voted our Club of the Year.
Established in 1919, the club has had its share of ups and downs over the years, but under the stewardship of General Manager Maurice Champeau it has seen a resurgence in recent times.
As well as keeping with its traditional working men’s club roots, Maurice has established the club as a thriving music venue, featuring a wide range of acts and styles. The monthly Comedy Village showcasing new comedians has also proved very popular.
In addition to the Main Hall, which holds 500 people, there is the Midfield Suite, with a capacity of 50, the Lounge bar which has plenty of seating as well as 2 snooker tables and a pool table, and the attraction of a full sized bowling green by the car park.
During the week there is a wide range of activities on offer, including toddler groups, self defence classes, burlesque dancing, French lessons, exercise classes, and of course the Friday and Sunday Quiz and Bingo nights.
The beer range regularly features beers from local breweries Bradfield and Abbeydale.
Crookes Club is a real success story and has become an important part of the local community. Join us as we present their award on Friday 5th June at 9pm in the lounge bar.
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.
Our overall 2026 Pub of the Year and also Sheffield Kelham Island & Neepsend area pub of the year is the outstanding Kelham Island Tavern. The Kelham Island area is now a Sheffield beer tourist attraction, with excellent bus and tram connections from the City Centre.
The overall winner is selected by judges visiting all the area winners, which were voted for by our members, and objectively scoring them against nationally set criteria.
Constructed in the 1830s as part of a terrace, and originally operating as the Sawmaker, the pub was later renamed the White Hart, and in 1995 became the Kelham Island Tavern, before closing in 1999. In March 2002, the derelict building was purchased and reopened, specialising in real ale.
Over the last 22 years, the pub has continued to thrive and since 2018, under the management of Josh and Louise, it has continued to offer a wide range of both cask and craft beers always including a porter, stout and many IPA’s and bitters.
It has an excellent rear beer garden and the pub maintains the standards to which many others aspire. The beer range is consistently excellent, always including at least one from Blue Bee.
A simple snack menu is available including pork pies. The Kelham Island Tavern was the first pub to be CAMRA National Pub of the Year two years running (in 2008 & 2009). It has been CAMRA Yorkshire Pub of the Year five times and now Sheffield Pub of the Year on 19 occasions: a record which is highly unlikely to be overtaken.
Please join us on Tuesday 30 June from 8pm as we present the well deserved awards to Josh, Louise and team.
Josh, Louise and their team at the Kelham Island Tavern receiving their 2025 award from our Chairman Paul Manning.
Area winners
Dog & Partridge (City Centre) – presentation on 28 April
Kelham Island Tavern (Kelham Island & Neepsend) – presentation on 30 June
Blake Hotel, Walkley (North)
Chantry Inn, Handsworth (East) – presentation on 21 May
Sheaf View, Heeley (South) – presented 19 March
Rising Sun, Nether Green (West) – presentation on 31 March
Red Lion, Litton (District) – presentation on 18 April
Our March Pub of the month award winner was the Two & Six Micropub in Sheffield City Centre.
The certificate was presented to Juliet and Dan by our Beer Matters magazine editor Andy Cullen.
Almost all the beers on the bar were from local breweries as part of their Sheffield Beer Week celebrations and customers were treated to some lovely complimentary sandwiches too!
Congratulations to Garry and the team at the Rising Sun (471 Fulwood Road, S10 3QA), winners of the Sheffield and District CAMRA, Sheffield (West) Pub of the Year 2025.
Owned by Sheffield Beerworks EOT Ltd., the Employee Owned Trust which also includes Abbeydale Brewery, the Riding Sun has been an Abbeydale community pub and dining room since 19th December 2005 when the brewery took over from the University of Sheffield Union of Students. The Union had run the building for just over 23 years. Previous management includes the Sheffield & District Public House Trust Co.Ltd. and John Smiths Tadcaster Brewery.
The original pub opened around 1860. The name refers to pubs which face east and receive early-morning sun, as did the earlier Rising Sun. The current pub opened when the, then, owners, the Sheffield Town Trustees agreed to provide land for the widening of Fulwood Road to Sheffield Corporation in return for the demolition and reconstruction of the original pub. The current building opened in July 1904. Abbeydale carried out an extensive refurbishment in 2014.
Rising Sun’s bar
There are two comfortably furnished rooms with a log burning fire between the main bar and the glass roofed extension. The large beer garden includes covered, heated areas. The pub is also both child and dog friendly. Quizzes are on Sunday evenings.
In 1914, the Sheffield and Rotherham Red Book and Almanac (p.407) stated that: ‘many pleasure seekers finding this suburban house very convenient for the supply of general refreshments.’ To-day, the situation is similar: the pub provides 13 cask beers, including a large Abbeydale range, together with several rotating guest specials across both cask and keg. There is also an ever-changing cider selection, a carefully curated wine list, a large range of quality spirits and plenty of non-alcoholic options. In addition, the creative, seasonal food menu aims to showcase the best of British produce and sees the pub working with a host of local suppliers.
Presentation of a previous award!
We hope you can join us for the presentation on 31 March from 8pm.
Abbeydale brewery event at the Rising Sun
On the presentation evening we’ll also be holding an Abbeydale Brewery tutored tasting event, led by experts from the oldest established brewery in Sheffield. This event will explore the depth and breadth of the Abbeydale range.You will be introduced to five beers, each in a 1/3 pint measure. Tickets for this are available online in advance for £10.
Abbeydale Brewery‘s Black Mass (a black IPA at 6.66% ABV) made it as a finalist in the “Barley Wines & Strong Ales” category of the Champion Beer of Britain awards. The winter ales categories were judged at Liverpool beer festival.
To reach the competition’s final in Liverpool all the beers had progressed through a year of local and regional blind judging heats.
The winner was London Brewing‘s Beer Street. Judges were blown away by this winner, with judging panel coordinator Christine Cryne describing Beer Street (4.0%) as: “A sparkling golden amber bitter, with spicy rye and a roasty nose, sweet biscuit on the flavour, where the spicy rye notes increase and linger in the dry and slightly bitter finish. Very easy drinking.”
Taking the Silver award was Cairngorm, Black Gold, 4.4%. A black session stout with red hues and oyster head. Aromas of black treacle and faint hits of dark fruits. Caramelised fruits on a sweetish chocolate base with some plums create a moreish stout. The dry finish is slightly sweet with some spicy notes.
The Bronze winner was Green Jack, Baltic Trader Export Stout, 10.5%. A dark ruby brown imperial stout, with aromas of sweet black treacle with some damsons. A rich smooth mouthfeel with bitter black chocolate, sweet molasses and damsons. The finish is sweet, smooth with bitter roasty notes remaining. Very warming.
The category winners now go forward to the final judging in May at CAMRA’s Cambridge Beer Festival where they’ll battle it out to take the crown of Supreme Champion 2026.
Reacting to the win, Director of London Brewing Senan Sexton said: “We’re absolutely delighted that our best bitter, Beer Street, has been named Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2026 by CAMRA. We’ve been brewing Beer Street since we founded the brewery in 2011, and it’s a real testament to the skill and dedication of our head brewer, Alex, that he has continued to refine and elevate the recipe over the years.
“This accolade means a tremendous amount to a brewery of our size. It’s not only a proud moment for our team, but also a fantastic boost that celebrates the enduring appeal of high-quality cask ales enjoyed in pubs across the UK.”
CAMRA’s Awards Director, Shelly Bentley, said: “Our Champion Beer of Britain competition is the only truly independent beer contest in the UK. Brewers can’t simply enter their beers into it; they have to be nominated by beer lovers or expert tasting panels.
“London Brewing are incredibly deserving winners of the winter crown, and everyone taking home a category win or top three placement should be proud that their beers have been declared the cream of the crop by expert judges.”
Our March pub of the month is the Two & Six on Snig Hill in Sheffield City Centre. This popular and welcoming micropub was opened in 2023 by Juliet and Dan, who have two connected units on the small parade – number 26, which gave the pub its name in pre-decimalisation currency, and number 24 next door which they offer for rental as a gallery, meeting or events space.
In prior incarnations the micropub has had a range of uses, including a gallery, local theatre company, and a ‘selfie centre’ with local street art. It has since been fully refurbished to be a welcoming wood-panelled space with bespoke furniture. As well as pump clips of previously served beers, the walls are also full of pictures of former Sheffield pubs, all now sadly closed.
The Two & Six offers four real ales always including a session and mid-strength pale, a dark line, and a strong line. Juliet and Dan aim to stock beers not commonly seen in Sheffield, and have recently had a number from brewers such as Jolly Sailor, Brid’s Cross and Wishbone – these careful picks make the micropub an integral part of the route for any beer ticker. There are also two real ciders, usually one fruited and one standard. Finishing the beer lineup are an imported German lager and three craft kegs, one of which is always gluten free. The bar also offers a substantial range of gins and other spirits, and wines.
Open Wednesday to Sunday, the bar is home to some regular events. Each Sunday at 8.45 there is a quiz with prizes including beer vouchers for winners, and biscuits for the losers. On the second Monday of the month (an exception to their usual opening hours) the Two & Six is home to Sheffield’s Laurel and Hardy Brats Tent, ‘The Sons of the Desert’ – one of a number of UK groups who get together to celebrate the works of Laurel and Hardy.
Join us for a special Sheffield Beer Week edition of our award presentation on Thursday 12 March at 8.30pm. Juliet and Dan aim to have beers originating from Sheffield tapped, including some brewers they’ve not previously stocked.
Thanks for the many votes we received in January – it may have been a record! Nominations are always open on our revamped nomination form, and are ratified at each month’s committee meeting (third Tuesday). Voting then opens until the branch meeting (first Tuesday). If you have feedback on the process or the new form, contact us at potm@sheffield.camra.org.uk.
As always, please consider visiting and nominating venues you may not have been to before, and supporting the excellent independent businesses in our branch area.
