CAMRA Sheffield & District
Sheffield & District branch of CAMRA
12 October saw the Chantry Inn at Handsworth packed with regulars and CAMRA members along with the team from Chantry Brewery to celebrate the pub being awarded October Pub of the Month. Much beer was drunk, a buffet was enjoyed and our Chairman Glynn said a few words! Congratulations to Terry, Alison and the team.
Dronfield & District CAMRA branch have presented a couple of awards – Summer Pub of the Season to the Miners Arms at Hundall and Lockdown Hero to Drone Valley Brewery who provided a home delivery service of their bottled beers throughout the pandemic.
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.
The Champion Beer of Britain is one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world. It is the ultimate honour for UK brewers and has helped put many into the national spotlight. It is awarded every year at the trade session of the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF).
The competition starts with individual nominations from CAMRA members and tasting panel nominations, then area competitions.
At the GBBF, the Champion Beer of Britain judging spans real ales across the categories for milds, session bitters, premium bitters, IPAs, session pales/blonds/golden ales and premium pales/blonds/golden ales. These are combined with the Champion Winter Beer of Britain category winners from the GBBF Winter (held in February) – session stouts/porters, strong stouts/porters, brown ales/red ales/old ales/strong milds, barley wines/strong ales, speciality beers (differently produced) and speciality beers (flavoured)– to create a shortlist for the final round of judging.
There is also a competition for the Champion Bottled Beer of Britain with two categories: ABV 4.3% or below and ABV 4.4% or above.
The process for next years competition starts with member voting opening on 1 September until 1 November inclusive and this will be the first year with the new beer style categories, of which there are 12. To vote log in at cbob.camra.org.uk and in the meantime keep an eye on What’s Brewing, the online members’ newspaper for more information.
The Crow Inn (33 Scotland Street, S3 7BS) has been voted as Sheffield and District CAMRA Pub of the Month for July 2021: our first Pub of the Month for a considerable period.
Originally opened in 1797 by Sheffield brewer, Thomas Rawson, the C20th saw many changes. These resulted in closure in 2010: the building becoming The Sleep Hotel. Previous pub names included: The Crown Inn, The Old Crown Inn and R & B’s Uptown Bar.
Two years ago, on Thursday 6 June 2019, under the same management as the Rutland Arms, the Crow was reborn. The logo cleverly links the new to the old: a crow is pictured holding an ‘N’ in its mouth having stolen it from the Crown.
The beer range complements that of the Rutland: five handpumps (gluten-free, Abbeydale Heather (4.3%) is the only permanent resident) and fourteen keg lines, together with a large choice of spirits, including forty malt whiskies. The beer range is innovative, including hard-to-find limited edition beers and obscure imports. In addition, Kev’s Pies are available, and there are seven en-suite hotel rooms. This is all expertly managed by the multi-talented and personable team: Adam Griffiths, Adam Swithenbank, Charlotte Walker, Chris Bamford, Kate Major and Lizzie Dabner.
Apart from the opening-out of the room on the right, the basic layout of the interior is unchanged. The fittings are of varying ages, with some recent renovation and modern art-work. The bar appears early/mid C20th. The porch has internal leaded windows and an impressive ceramic floor which features an image of a crown. Unusually, the off-sales was approached via the entrance to the rear yard, purchasers entering through a small door. This entrance was removed in 1972.
Historically, the pub is mentioned as a key player in the 1840s Chartist protests, the Sheffield Outrages and the 1920s Sheffield Gang Wars. The outrages saw the 1859 murder of James Linley: ‘saw-grinder, was sitting at the Crown Inn, Scotland Street’ (Caledonian Mercury, 3rd August 1859).
Congratulations to all involved with the Crow on this award: recognition of a recent excellent addition to the ground-breaking and innovative pubs of Sheffield. Covid permitting, we originally planned to hold the award ceremony on the evening of Tuesday 13 July. However, due to Covid restrictions, this was changed to Tuesday 10th August 2021.
Walking around the Crookes Social Club I noticed a 1928 carved date stone but have been informed the club is over 100 years old. Maurice, the manager, suggests the Covid pandemic is the most serious situation the club has faced and has had to spend cash reserves earmarked for a refurbishment on adapting to operate in a Covid-secure manner and creating a large outdoor social space.
Despite this the team at the club continue to work hard to offer something for everyone. As well as a bar, the club offers activities from bowls to dancing, has two snooker tables and a pool table and participates in local leagues.
There is a separate concert room that hosts live music gigs, dance and fitness events.
Non members are welcome to drop in for a drink or attend gigs. Two well kept locally sourced real ales are available on the bar, currently from Bradfield Brewery.
Congratulations on being voted Sheffield Club of the Year by local CAMRA members!
Find out more about Crookes Social Club on their website, Facebook or Twitter.
Our Pub of the Month award winner, postponed from April, is the Wisewood Inn.
The Wisewood Inn re-opened their doors under the current ownership in October 2015, relaunching a pub that had struggled for at least ten years under various pub companies , it is now well supported by the local community.
Since previously winning Pub of the Month in July 2017, they have expanded and made lots of positive changes to create an even better environment and the pub now has its very own on-site microbrewery – Loxley Brewery.
The Wisewood Inn has four cask pumps serving Loxley Brewery ales, there are also two guest pumps which are rotated frequently, these pumps have seen many fine local breweries and many more from further afield.
The ‘Cellar Bar’ has also been refurbished to an exceptional standard and is the perfect place to grab a pint in the winter months with the real log fire and candlelight. In the summer months, the roller blinds are opened up on to one of the largest beer gardens in Sheffield and the spectacular views of the Loxley Valley surround. The Cellar Bar is also the perfect place to have a function of any kind.
The pub has also undergone a kitchen extension, serving delicious homemade food every day of the week but the Sunday Roasts are particularly popular!
The Wisewood Inn had been planning on hosting their second beer festival in June which obviously hasn’t been possible, instead advantage has been taken of the closure forced by the Covid-19 lockdown to start work early on the pub refurbishment that was originally planned for later in the year, so the pub will reopen looking great!
The refurbishment has given the pub a new bar and and bar back. They’ve increased the hand-pumps from 5 to 6 and have a new set of keg lines. Their brewery has now started brewing keg beer and they are about to add new fermenters doubling their production capacity. Their beer range has now been rebranded to match their bottle branding with named beers replacing the previous numbered beers and to top it off they have a portable beer bar converted from a vintage Citroen van which in a former life delivered bread in France, so it has moved from selling one yeast product to another.
The pub will be reopening on Monday 6th July operating under the government Covid-19 secure guidelines with table service, contactless payments and reservations required for food. Check out their Facebook page for more information. 
The pub was rescued from dereliction in 2002 and firmly established as a popular real ale pub with the back room added as an extension to cope! The Kelham has two rooms and impressive little beer garden at the rear whilst the bar offers up to 12 well kept cask beers with an effort made to ensure variety of styles, all at fair prices. A simple food menu is served at lunchtime every day except Sunday.
Josh and Louise took over the pub two years ago and has not only maintained the established standards but made some subtle improvements too! Congratulations to both on the award!
PUB REOPENING
With the easing of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the Kelham Island Tavern will reopen on Saturday 4th July with limited capacity in the pub and beer garden. New reduced opening hours will operate – 2pm to 8pm for seated customers, with takeaway drinks available 3pm-7pm. Check their Facebook page for more information.
The Anglers Rest was under threat a few years ago when the pub company that owned it decided to sell and there was a proposal to convert it into residential use, leaving the village with no pub and little other facilities. However thanks to it being listed as an asset of community value, locals were able to get together to form a community enterprise to buy and operate the pub, which is also now home to the village post office and coffee shop, keeping those facilities for this rural community.
The pub itself is comfortable and friendly, offers a selection of real ales including some from local breweries and serves meals and also hosts various events.
PUB REOPENING
During lockdown the Post Office remains open and the pub/cafe is operating as a takeaway and shop.
The pub will be reopening to enjoy food and drink on the premised from Monday 6th July with reduced hours and Covid-19 secure service. Check their Facebook page for latest news and details of this. 
