It’s good news once again for Sheffield’s Kelham Island Tavern, which has been named joint runner-up in the Yorkshire CAMRA Pub of the Year 2018 competition.
The pub, which has been voted Sheffield & District CAMRA’s Pub of the Year 14 out of the last 15 years, was up against the winners from all of Yorkshire’s branches. With up to 12 real ales available at any time, always including a mild, a porter and a stout, the Kelham Island Tavern is famous among real ale fans nationwide and continues to uphold excellent standards.
For the third year running, the winning establishment was the George & Dragon at Hudswell, near Richmond. The pub, which also won the national CAMRA Pub of the Year award in 2016, was the first community pub in the county and is now a thriving venue serving five cask ales on rotation.
George & Dragon, Hudswell
Joining the Kelham Island Tavern in joint second place was the Victorian Craft Beer Café in Halifax. Opened in 2014, this trendy pub serves 10 hand-pulled real ales and ciders, along with up to 12 craft keg lines and a wide range of continental bottled beers.
Meanwhile, the winner of the Yorkshire Club of the Year award was the Wortley Men’s Club from Barnsley branch, which has now won the accolade five years in a row. The Oakworth Social Club near Keighley was named runner-up.
We would like to extend our congratulations to all the winners. Presentations are set to be arranged for Saturday afternoons during the autumn and we will release details for these online and in Beer Matters as soon as they are known.
Our Pub of the Month award for August 2018, voted for as always by Sheffield & District CAMRA members, goes to the Beer Engine on Cemetery Road. The pub may only have opened in March 2015 but this is the second time it has been voted our branch’s Pub of the Month, having previously won the honour in August 2016.
The man who created the Beer Engine in its current guise (it was formerly a music bar called Delaney’s, amongst other things) is Tom Harrington, who previously worked at Thornbridge and the Hillsborough Hotel. This was his first pub venture, although he is now also involved with the Old Workshop on Hicks Street too.
The Beer Engine is in essence a traditional pub with a focus on serving high-quality real ales in a relaxing environment, but there is a modern twist in the form of ever-changing craft keg beers and an interesting range of spirits. The pub is furnished and decorated simply but is laid out to appeal to all – a main open area around the bar and a couple of smaller, cosier rooms. There’s a nice beer garden out the back which has been extremely popular during the recent hot weather.
The bar features six handpumps, one of which dispenses the ever-available Neepsend Blonde. The remaining five feature a changing range of ales from breweries such as Exit 33, Bad Seed and North Riding, and sometimes a real cider. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and are happy to offer tasters and advice.
No article about the Beer Engine would be complete without a mention of the pub’s food offerings. Monday to Saturday is pub tapas, with a selection of around 8 dishes on a menu which changes weekly. On a Sunday, the Beer Engine offers home-cooked roast dinners with a choice of meat of the week, vegetarian and vegan options.
We will be presenting the award certificate at the Beer Engine on Tuesday 14 August. Join us from 8pm onwards for a presentation at 9pm. For those travelling by public transport, the 3/3a, 4/4a, 20, 43, 44, 75, 76, 86, 97, 98 and 218 all stop nearby. We hope to see you there!
Sheffield & District CAMRA members headed to the Wellington, Shalesmoor, on 10 July for the presentation of the July 2018 Pub of the Month award. Competition from the first of the World Cup semi-finals meant attendance was perhaps a little lower than it might otherwise have been, but there was still a great atmosphere in the pub as branch vice-chairman Patrick Johnson handed over the certificate to manager Niall Byrne, owner James Birkett and all the staff.
Patrick Johnson (left) presents the certificate to pub manager Niall Byrne.
It should come as no surprise that there was a great selection of real ales available on the evening. Four of the seven handpumps showcased beers from Neepsend Brewery, including the fantastic Comosus (4.6%), a very tasty pineapple pale ale. The other three featured guest ales from Atom, Anarchy and Imperial. There were also some great craft keg beers from Steel City and Wylam.
The Wellington continued the recent tradition of putting on a buffet for everyone who made it down for the presentation, with a nice selection of sandwiches, cocktail sausages, pork pies and something I had never tried before – cold black pudding!
Congratulations once again to everyone at the Wellington on their award! CAMRA members, don’t forget to vote for your next Pub of the Month. Or if your favourite isn’t on the list, you can nominate it on the website or at any branch meeting.
If travelling by tram for a pub crawl in the Kelham Island area, first call will usually be the Wellington on the corner of Henry Street and Infirmary Road, which is almost adjacent to the Shalesmoor (for Kelham Island) tram stop. The pub was built around 1840 for A. H. Smith’s Don Brewery, which was nearby. Following the usual sequence of takeovers, from the 1960’s the Wellington was part of the Whitbread estate.
As a result of the Beer Orders of the early nineties, Whitbread began to reduce their pub holdings, and the Wellington was sold ‘free of tie’ in 1992. For some 20 years it flourished as a free house, winning Sheffield CAMRA Pub of the Year 2001 as the Cask & Cutler, but suffering from a lack of investment it eventually became a bit tired. In 2016 it was acquired by James Birkett’s Sheaf Inns and after a much-needed yet sympathetic refurbishment it reopened on 19 October 2016.
Niall Byrne moved from the Sheaf View to become the new manager, and the Wellington became the brewery tap for the Neepsend Brewery (formerly Little Ale Cart), which had also been taken over by James Birkett. As a result the pub’s eight handpumps usually dispense three or four Neepsend beers, always including Neepsend Blonde, and three or four guest beers mostly from small breweries, together with a changing real cider. Brewers often featured include Bad Seed, North Riding, Pictish and Saltaire, and there is a decent range of gins and malt whiskies available. Opening hours are 3-11pm in the week, 12-12 Friday and Saturday and 12-10.30 Sunday. Food is limited to the usual bar snacks together with pork pies.
The pub still retains two separate rooms, one opened out into the corridor bar area, and several features survive from an inter war redevelopment, including some leaded windows. The walls throughout are decorated with an eclectic collection of breweriana, including mirrors and advertising placards. The rooms are comfortably furnished and welcoming, and with no TV, gaming machines or music, at weekends the Wellington is a welcome refuge from the noisier pubs in the area. All in all a well deserved winner of the Pub of the Month for July. As well as the tram, there is a nearby bus stop served by routes 57, 81, 82, 86 and 135.
Alan Gibbons
Sheffield & District CAMRA members headed to the Fat Cat on Tuesday 12 June to celebrate the Pub of the Month award for June 2018. With its huge range of real ales (although you would expect nothing less from the pub where Sheffield’s real ale revolution started!) and convivial atmosphere, the pub was a worthy winner. The Fat Cat last won Pub of the Month in September 2010 and will add this latest award to the long list of accolades they have won over the years.
Branch vice-chairman Patrick Johnson (second from right) presented licensee Duncan Shaw (left) and his staff with the certificate, which we are sure will take pride of place.
CAMRA isn’t just all about real ale; we also support those pubs offering quality real cider and perry, made by traditional methods. Every year, Sheffield & District CAMRA chooses one pub in our branch region that has made a particular contribution to the cider scene around the city.
On Thursday 10 May, we headed down to the Clubhouse on London Road to hand over the Cider Pub of the Year certificate. Branch cider champion Sarah Mills made the presentation to manager Rachel Waite. There were three ciders and a perry on the handpumps on the evening, proving just why the pub won the accolade.
Cider champion Sarah Mills (left) with Clubhouse manager Rachel Waite
Well done once again to Rachel and all the staff at the Clubhouse on their award.
Our busy week of awards back in May culminated with the Pub of the Year presentation at the Kelham Island Tavern. As might be expected on a swelteringly hot Saturday afternoon, there was a large attendance, with Sheffield & District CAMRA members joined by a number of pub regulars. Treasurer Paul Crofts made the presentation to pub owners Trevor Wraith and Lewis Gonda on behalf of the branch.
The Kelham Island Tavern has been voted Pub of the Year by our branch members 14 out of the last 15 years, and on presentation day the pub proved exactly why it has remained so popular throughout the years. There was the usual fantastic range of real ales available, with North Riding’s excellent Fudge Brownie Stout a particular highlight, and a great atmosphere. We were also generously provided with a complimentary buffet, which was very much appreciated.
Congratulations once more to Trevor, Lewis and all the staff and regulars at the Kelham Island Tavern on their award!
With so many great pubs in Sheffield itself, it is sometimes easy to forget about the fantastic hostelries serving the towns and villages in the Derbyshire part of our branch. Unfortunately, due to a lack of votes we were unable to award the District Pub of the Season award for Winter 2017, but we are delighted to announce that the winner of the Spring 2018 competition is the Moon Inn, Stoney Middleton.
Located on the main road just as you enter Stoney Middleton from Sheffield, the Moon is the last remaining pub in this quaint and historic village and provides the locals with some high-quality real ale in a relaxing and welcoming environment. It is also popular with dog-walkers, hikers and climbers looking for some respite and refreshment. A traditional L-shaped pub with an open fire, the interior is a mixture of old and new following a refurbishment around three years ago.
On the beer front, there are up to three real ales on offer at any time. Thwaites’ Wainwright is a regular on the handpumps, and is joined by two guest beers which often feature local breweries, typically Abbeydale, Bradfield or Stancill. Open every day from noon, the Moon is served by the number 65 bus from Sheffield for those travelling by public transport.
We are hoping to arrange a minibus trip to make the presentation on Saturday 14 July. Ideally, this will be combined with the presentation of the 2018 District Pub of the Year award at the Red Lion in Litton. For more details, come along to the branch meeting at the Blind Monkey on 3 July, or email our social secretary Andy Cullen (social@sheffield.camra.org.uk).
On the 29th July 1981 Dave Wickett and his then business partner bought a pub called the “Alma” from Stones and re-opened it as The Fat Cat on the 21st August the same year. The intention from the outset was to provide an alternative to the pubs owned by the big breweries who dominated the city at that time.
It introduced such rarities as Fullers, Boddingtons, Marstons, Theakstons and Timothy Taylor to the drinking public of Sheffield and has never looked back, continuing to provide a changing range of well-kept cask ales from the ever increasing range of British breweries, alongside its regular Kelham Island Brewery beers. Much is owed to Dave’s foresight in making Sheffield the real ale mecca it is today.
The introduction of a no-smoking room and a vegetarian menu was rare in the early days and this traditional theme has been enhanced by having no electric gaming machines, background music nor televisions, instead the emphasis is on conversation and cask conditioned ale.
Within a year of it opening it became Sheffield & District CAMRA’s Pub of the Year in 1982 and its popularity and charm continues to be recognised 36 years later. In the intervening years it has been named Pub of the Month and Pub of the Year on numerous occasions and has also picked up awards from the Morning Advertiser, the Good Pub Guide, The Times weekend supplement and The Daily Telegraph and has featured regularly in CAMRA’s National Good Beer Guide. The building was also given listed status in 2000.
Much of its continuing and successful longevity is down to three members of staff who have been in attendance since the very early days of Dave’s tenure, namely Diane, Alison and the late Stephen Fearn. Following Dave’s death, his son Ed took over and the change was seamless, just as it was when Duncan Shaw took over as licensee in 2008. Much thanks is due to all of these and to all the staff who have worked there over the years, for maintaining the standards and principals of this pioneering pub since 1981.
Please join us on Tuesday 12 June as we present the Fat Cat with their latest award. We will be arriving around 8pm for a presentation about an hour later.
Andy Morton
Nestled in the middle of our week of presentations for the branch’s annual awards was our regular Pub of the Month presentation. A host of Sheffield & District CAMRA members made their way to the White Lion, London Road, on Tuesday 8 May to see licensees Jon Terry and Mandy Billings presented with the award for May 2018.
Vice-chairman Patrick Johnson (left) presents the May Pub of the Month award to the White Lion staff. Credit: John Beardshaw.
There was a great atmosphere around the place, with visitors for the presentation joined by both pub regulars and music fans attending the regular Tuesday evening live session. As always, there was a great selection of real ales available, particularly the range of guest beers on offer. Following the award, a selection of nibbles was also provided and very much appreciated.
Congratulations once more to Jon, Mandy and all the staff at the White Lion on their award. Keep up the good work!
The Beer Engine is in essence a traditional pub with a focus on serving high-quality real ales in a relaxing environment, but there is a modern twist in the form of ever-changing craft keg beers and an interesting range of spirits. The pub is furnished and decorated simply but is laid out to appeal to all – a main open area around the bar and a couple of smaller, cosier rooms. There’s a nice beer garden out the back which has been extremely popular during the recent hot weather.
The bar features six handpumps, one of which dispenses the ever-available Neepsend Blonde. The remaining five feature a changing range of ales from breweries such as Exit 33, Bad Seed and North Riding, and sometimes a real cider. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and are happy to offer tasters and advice.
No article about the Beer Engine would be complete without a mention of the pub’s food offerings. Monday to Saturday is pub tapas, with a selection of around 8 dishes on a menu which changes weekly. On a Sunday, the Beer Engine offers home-cooked roast dinners with a choice of meat of the week, vegetarian and vegan options.
We will be presenting the award certificate at the Beer Engine on Tuesday 14 August. Join us from 8pm onwards for a presentation at 9pm. For those travelling by public transport, the 3/3a, 4/4a, 20, 43, 44, 75, 76, 86, 97, 98 and 218 all stop nearby. We hope to see you there! 
Branch vice-chairman Patrick Johnson (second from right) presented licensee Duncan Shaw (left) and his staff with the certificate, which we are sure will take pride of place.
The Kelham Island Tavern has been voted Pub of the Year by our branch members 14 out of the last 15 years, and on presentation day the pub proved exactly why it has remained so popular throughout the years. There was the usual fantastic range of real ales available, with North Riding’s excellent Fudge Brownie Stout a particular highlight, and a great atmosphere. We were also generously provided with a complimentary buffet, which was very much appreciated.
Congratulations once more to Trevor, Lewis and all the staff and regulars at the Kelham Island Tavern on their award! 
Located on the main road just as you enter Stoney Middleton from Sheffield, the Moon is the last remaining pub in this quaint and historic village and provides the locals with some high-quality real ale in a relaxing and welcoming environment. It is also popular with dog-walkers, hikers and climbers looking for some respite and refreshment. A traditional L-shaped pub with an open fire, the interior is a mixture of old and new following a refurbishment around three years ago.
On the beer front, there are up to three real ales on offer at any time. Thwaites’ Wainwright is a regular on the handpumps, and is joined by two guest beers which often feature local breweries, typically Abbeydale, Bradfield or Stancill. Open every day from noon, the Moon is served by the number 65 bus from Sheffield for those travelling by public transport.
We are hoping to arrange a minibus trip to make the presentation on Saturday 14 July. Ideally, this will be combined with the presentation of the 2018 District Pub of the Year award at the Red Lion in Litton. For more details, come along to the branch meeting at the Blind Monkey on 3 July, or email our social secretary Andy Cullen (
Within a year of it opening it became Sheffield & District CAMRA’s Pub of the Year in 1982 and its popularity and charm continues to be recognised 36 years later. In the intervening years it has been named Pub of the Month and Pub of the Year on numerous occasions and has also picked up awards from the Morning Advertiser, the Good Pub Guide, The Times weekend supplement and The Daily Telegraph and has featured regularly in CAMRA’s National Good Beer Guide. The building was also given listed status in 2000.
Much of its continuing and successful longevity is down to three members of staff who have been in attendance since the very early days of Dave’s tenure, namely Diane, Alison and the late Stephen Fearn. Following Dave’s death, his son Ed took over and the change was seamless, just as it was when Duncan Shaw took over as licensee in 2008. Much thanks is due to all of these and to all the staff who have worked there over the years, for maintaining the standards and principals of this pioneering pub since 1981.
Please join us on Tuesday 12 June as we present the Fat Cat with their latest award. We will be arriving around 8pm for a presentation about an hour later.
Andy Morton 
