Category: Awards

Pub of the Year 2022 (Sheffield District)

Posted on by Paul Crofts

The Anglers Rest at Bamford has been crowned Sheffield CAMRA District Pub of The Year for 2022.

In 2013, as the last remaining pub in the village, over 300 local people got together to buy it and turn it in to Derbyshire’s first community pub. It has been serving the people of Bamford ever since, and includes a post office and café as part of the site.

A selection of well-kept real ales are on offer, including Abbeydale Brewery’s Moonshine as a permanent beer plus rotating beers from other local suppliers such as Stancill and Peak Ales.

Manager Sarah France with bar staff Ed and Abby

Like most pubs, the Anglers has suffered recently due to the covid pandemic. Difficulties in recruiting new staff, and enticing punters back has been a hard slog, but manager Sarah France and her team have been putting in long hours and hard work to return the pub to it’s place at the heart of the village. As Sarah says “We wouldn’t be the pub we are without our dedicated staff”.

The pub has a cosy feel with the different sections of the bar still open enough to be part of the overall atmosphere. A real fire and great locally-sourced home-cooked food add to the appeal. As a community pub there’s always plenty going on. Evenings regularly feature live music, quiz nights open mic nights, poker nights, and daytime activities in the café include coffee mornings and craft sessions.

We will be presenting the award on Saturday 30 July, we hope you can come and join us from 3pm to celebrate. Hulleys bus 256/257 will get you there.

The Anglers Rest will now be put forward to the Derbyshire regional section of CAMRA’s national Pub Of The Year competition.

Club of the Year 2022

Posted on by Dave Pickersgill

CAMRA Sheffield & District Club of The Year 2022 is Stocksbridge Rugby Club. Luci Loxley, Bar Manager said: ‘this has come as a total surprise. Thanks to all the staff involved. We are very pleased.’

Previous winners in 2017, this busy social club is open weekday evenings and all day at weekends, offering two or three real ales: Bradfield Blonde as a regular plus one Bradfield guest and another guest from a local brewery.

The rugby club was originally formed in 1962 as a section of Stocksbridge Steel Works Social Services. Sixty years later, it has sports teams in local leagues, two teams in the pool league, and a very successful table tennis team.

The building originally opened in 1866 as Horner House Primitive West End Chapel. The Primitive Methodist church was an 1807 secession from the Wesleyan Methodists. It was particularly successful in evangelising agricultural and industrial communities at open meetings.

The 2nd December 1865 foundation stone celebrations for the chapel and schoolroom, part of the Sheffield Second circuit, are described by John Wenn in an 1866 Primitive Methodist magazine. The stone was laid by GH Benson Esq. and the ceremony was followed by a “plentiful tea” in the nearby Co-operative society store. Speakers included Revs C Lace, R Bryant and John Wenn and Messrs GH Benson, F Hill, R Holden and John Manterfield. In 1932, the name changed to the West End Methodist Church. The building was extended in 1889 and the frontage was remodelled in 1959. This as, ‘it was felt that the ever-increasing flow of traffic ….. constituted a real danger to our scholars as they came straight down the Church steps into the main road.’

Almost half a century ago, in 1974, the chapel closed and was left to rot. It was acquired by the rugby club in 1983. The building was gutted and the inside completely rebuilt. The original first floor which sloped from front to back was replaced. All the work was completed by members of the club. The new social centre reopened in 1985 using the old downstairs schoolroom. Three years later, in 1988, came the official opening when the upstairs function room came into use. This room has it’s own bar and is often used for private events: everything from barn dances to childrens parties.

The war memorial, originally fixed to the east wall was removed to the Wesleyan chapel at Old Haywoods, Deepcar. That is now closed, the memorial relocating to nearby Christ Church. It commemorates members of the congregation, ten men and one woman, who lost their lives in WW1.

The original 1865 Deed of Transfer signed by the Trustees with the vendor, Samuel Fox, states that: ‘No building erected upon the said plot of land shall be used as a beer house or public house …. without the consent in writing of the said Samuel Fox or his heirs or assigns.’ We assume that this consent has occurred.

Our presentation will be on Friday 3rd.June at 17:00, to coincide with their Jubilee Beer Festival. We hope to see you there. Bus 57 from Sheffield or Bus SL1/SL1a from Middlewood tram terminus will get you there.

Reference: Stocksbridge Primitive Methodist – West End Methodist Church 1866-1966. Centenary Handbook. pages 8, 19

Pub of the Year 2022 (City Centre)

Posted on by Dave Pickersgill

The Sheffield Tap is our 2022 Sheffield City Centre Pub of the Year. Winners in 2020, the Tap has won this award on successive occasions (there were no awards in 2021).

The story of the Tap is well known (see March 2022 Beer Matters). Suffice to say that this multiple award-winning pub, re-opened in 2009, has become both an integral part of the nationwide beer-tourism network while providing an ever-changing range of beers, including those brewed on-site.

The space is adorned with Minton tiled walls and fine ornamented bar fittings. In the 1960s, the space lost its original use and by the 1970s was a waiting room. Thirty four years after closure, a £180,000 comprehensive overhaul saw the tiling, terrazzo floor and woodwork, including parts of the bar fittings, beautifully restored.

The later key development was when the Tap expanded into the former First Class Dining Room. The tiled and mirrored interior was restored and in January 2013, Tapped Brew Co., began brewing on-site. Two years ago, Ben Tysoe, took on the Head Brewer role.

Congratulations to the Tap for this award: long may they continue to provide a warm welcome to Sheffield while simultaneously causing many customers to decide to wait for ‘their next train.’

Brothers Arms

Posted on by Guest

Tuesday 8 March saw a number of Sheffield & District CAMRA members head to the Brothers Arms in Heeley, not only to have a go on their quiz but to present their Pub of the Month award.

Pictured is our chairman Glyn with Emma France, Brothers Arms General Manager and Chris Simpson, the assistant manager.

Photo by John Beardshaw

Pub of the Month March 2022

Posted on by Andy Cullen

Our Pub of the Month award scheme, designed to celebrate all the pubs around our area serving well kept real ale in a friendly and comfortable atmosphere across Sheffield & District, has been on a little bit of a back-burner through the Coronavirus pandemic with pubs unable to operate in a normal fashion if at all at times, however it is now back and our members are nominating and voting for their favourite local pubs!

The winner for March 2022 is the Brothers Arms at Heeley. It is a classic old pub building, previously known as Ye Olde Shakespeare Inn, that perches on a slope at the top of a hill. The location leads the pub to have the oddity of the front door requiring you to climb a staircase to enter the pub whilst the side door is level access, however this also means if you are sat out in the beer garden you have an absolutely amazing view over the city! Although the pub was opened out internally back in 1981 and has had refurbishments since, it still retains a fairly traditional layout and style inside whilst the exterior still retains some distinctive carvings and signage. The change of name came with the current management who are associated with the Everley Pregnant Brothers ukulele parody band!

During the more recent Covid restrictions where table service and ventilation were the order of the day, the Brothers made much bigger use of their outdoor space and the fact they delivered good table service reflects the great team of staff there. Things are of course back to normal now so they are back behind the bar to deliver friendly service and a good range of beers including up to eight cask options. This also means things like the darts board and quiz night are also back!

We’ll be heading up to the Brothers Arms to present the winners certificate and enjoy a few beers on Tuesday 8 March from 8pm, we’ll also be sticking around to have a go at the quiz, all are welcome to join us!

You can find the Brothers Arms at 106 Well Road, Heeley, S8 9TZ. Getting there by bus: Alight on Chesterfield Road outside Ponsfords on routes 10, 10a, 20, 24, 25, 43, 44 and X17 or alight on Spencer Road near the Peoples Park on routes 1a, 18 and 252, timetables and route maps at travelsouthyorkshire.com.

Pub of the Year 2022 voting

Posted on by Admin
Voting is now underway for the 2022 Pub of the Year and all CAMRA Sheffield & District members are able to vote for their favourites from the shortlist of eligible pubs in Sheffield and surrounding parts of Derbyshire. There are 35 in the running this year, comprising those in this year’s Good Beer Guide, alongside the pubs which have won branch awards in the last 12 months. The voting process remains the same as in previous years, with members either selecting up to 10 pubs in order of preference or selecting 10 and then ranking them in the list below. The winning pubs will be announced during our AGM in April. Please vote using the form below before the deadline of 12 February 2022.

Sorry, voting has closed.

Pub of the Month October 2021

Posted on by Guest

The Chantry Inn has been voted as Sheffield and District CAMRA Pub of the Month for October 2021.

This historic pub which was built around 1250 is uniquely one of only four pubs in the UK set in consecrated grounds being within the grounds of St Mary’s parish church in Handsworth.

It comprises of three different rooms each with some original and unique features including real fireplaces, beamed low ceilings and even the bell pushes used in previous days to order the ale. There are also claims of various tunnels and passageways from the cellar to the church. 

It has had a chequered past originally being a chantry and safe house for nuns, a washouse and a school before being a pub for much of the later years from the early 1800’s.

Chantry Brewery acquired the pub in early 2019 and undertook a tasteful restoration and deliver real quality beers. There are always 5 cask ales on tap from Chantry brewery with a rotating special including Steelos, Kaldos, Full Moon, Wentworth Red, Cashmere Time alongside the regulars of New York pale, Iron and Steel bitter, Special Reserve and Diamond Stout. There are also changing craft beers available often from Tiny Rebel or Beavertown as well as real cider. 

Congratulations to all involved with the Chantry Inn including the brewery and the pub manager Terry and his partner Alison. The pub of the month award presentation is planned for the evening of Tuesday 12th October and all are welcome to join the celebration.  

Paul Manning

You can find the Chantry Inn at 400 Handsworth Road, S13 9BZ. Buses 30, 30a, 52, 52a, 73, X5 and X55 stop almost outside.