Category: Awards

Ever since I visited The Rat Race Ale House on the platform of Hartlepool Railway Station I have been enamoured with micropubs. I find that, by consequence of their size, people end up enjoying an evening with folks that they would never have encountered had the building afforded them the luxury of space to sit several tables apart. They therefore make for convivial places, and our November 2018 POTM winner is, as a micropub itself, no exception. The Autumn of 2016 saw long-time friends, Al and Charlie, open The Bar Stewards as a ‘pop-up pub’ in the already beer-dense area of Kelham Island. Temporary events licenses meant they could open on a limited number of weekends while they awaited the paperwork that would transform their enterprise into a permanent addition to the area’s public houses; a noble aim that was to become a reality in July 2017. The idea was always simple. Serve excellent beer and, in the words of Bill and Ted while on their trans-dimensional peregrinations, be excellent to each other. The popularity of this approach has seen a provision of four hand-pulls plus cider boxes expand to include six keg beer lines, and more recently, voluminous fridge space for on/off-sale cans and bottles. It is far from uncommon to see cask appearances made by the likes of Arbor, Tiny Rebel, Bristol Beer Factory, Great Heck, Abbeydale and North Riding, while keg beers are frequently seen from, inter alia, Verdant, Cloudwater, Northern Monk, Deya, Garage, Unity, Loka Polly, Magic Rock and Howling Hops. It is also clear that so much more lies in store for this successful micro. Indeed, just this summer saw the opening up of their outdoor space at the rear of the pub, an area which has been used to provide yet more sumptuous beers by setting up their mobile bar for special events. So here’s to another thoroughly deserving POTM winner. I have been an ardent supporter of this pub from day one and eagerly look forward to seeing The Bar Stewards continue to grow from strength to strength. Truly, these are fine years for a beer enthusiast to be alive. Patrick Johnson Join us at the Bar Stewards on Tuesday 13 November for the presentation of the award (and, of course, to enjoy a fine ale or two). We will be arriving from around 8pm onwards for a presentation at 9pm.

Our October 2018 Pub of the Month winner is one that will be very familiar to those who have followed this award over the last few years. The Harlequin on Nursery Street has now been voted Pub of the Month six times since 2007, with the most recent before this coming in May 2016. Run by landlady Liz Aspden and Exit 33 Brewing owner Pete Roberts, the Harlequin is a free house which acts as the tap pub for the brewery. The bar features up to 10 well-kept real ales with the regular beers (Blonde and Northern Best) provided by Exit 33. All the latest seasonal and one-off Exit 33 brews feature too, as well as quality rotating guest ales, generally from Yorkshire and the North East. There is also a range of craft keg and bottled beers including an international selection, mainly German and Belgian. A regular winner of our Cider Pub of the Year award, the Harlequin is considered one of the best pubs in Sheffield for apple fans. Landlady Liz’s passion for cider is clear for all to see with as many as 14 different boxed ciders available, plus more in bottle and on keg. Keep an eye out (it’s hard to miss!) for the cider board with the current choice including descriptions and tasting notes. A popular quiz (affectionately known as the Harlequiz, of course) is hosted on Wednesdays, while live music features on Friday and Saturdays with rock bands normally dominating the Saturday slot. The second Thursday of each month is jazz and swing night and all music nights are free to attend. The Harlequin is a short walk from the City Centre or Kelham Island, or there is a bus stop right outside the pub served by routes 3, 7 and 8. We will be presenting the award on Tuesday 9 October, arriving from around 8pm for a presentation at 9pm.

If it’s Abbeydale beer you’re after then the brewery’s second tap pub, the Devonshire Cat, is probably a good place to start. This city centre venue, first opened in 2001 and bought by the brewery back in 2013 following the retirement of the previous landlord, had been a long-term fixture in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and has continued to be included every year since the change of ownership. Sheffield & District branch members clearly agree on its merits, having voted the Devonshire Cat our Pub of the Month for September 2018. The pub underwent a complete renovation a couple of years ago and the new-look pub features a central horseshoe-shaped bar with three distinct seating areas surrounding it. On the bar there are 12 handpumps, half of which serve Abbeydale’s own range of core and seasonal brews, while the other half feature interesting guest casks from local and national breweries. For those of a craftier persuasion, there is also an excellent range of keg beers from microbreweries near and far, as well as a selection of more than 100 bottles and cans. Tap takeovers are a regular occurrence at the Devonshire Cat, and recent breweries featured have included Scotland’s Fyne Ales, Leeds’ Ridgeside and London’s Brick Brewery. Of course, no article about the “Dev Cat” would be complete without mention of the excellent food menu on offer which is well worth a try, and they are happy to recommend beers to match the food. For music fans, the Honey Bee Blues Club takes place on the last Friday of every month and features the best of contemporary local blues music. Come and join us at the Devonshire Cat (49 Wellington Street, S1 4HG) for the Pub of the Month presentation on Tuesday 11 September, arriving from 8pm for a presentation at 9pm. Hope to see you there!