Category: Awards

Pub of the Year 2018 presentation

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
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!

District Pub of the Season Spring 2018

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
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).

Pub of the Month June 2018

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
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

May Pub of the Month presentation

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
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!

Club of the Year presentation

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
A busy week of presentations kicked off with the presentation of our the Sheffield & District CAMRA Club of the Year award to the Interval Café Bar on Saturday 5 May. The handover of the certificate had been timed to coincide with the annual University of Sheffield Students’ Union Beer Festival which took place over the May Day bank holiday weekend, and festival-goers were treated to some fabulously sunny weather along with an excellent range of beers and ciders.
Andy Shaw (left) hands over the Club of the Year award to Interval manager Richard Jourdain. Credit: John Beardshaw.
From the selection of bars located in the Students’ Union, Interval is the one with the most focus on real ale, with seven handpumps available. It is open to non-students during the day and also offers a good range of food. Our Clubs Officer, Andy Shaw, made the presentation to Interval manager Richard Jourdain on behalf of the branch. In his speech, Andy recognised the contribution that Interval makes in promoting quality real ale to the student community and congratulated Richard and his team on their well-deserved award. We would like to say well done once again to everyone at Interval for their success!

Pub of the Month May 2018

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
We might have just announced all our annual winners but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about our Pub of the Month competition. This month’s winner, voted for as always by Sheffield & District CAMRA branch members, is a pub that has been a permanent fixture on London Road since the 1780s: the White Lion. The pub last won this award in October 2016 and since then the standards have remained exceptionally high, making them worthy winners yet again. This historic hostelry has a rich past, but current landlords Jon Terry and Mandy Billings have brought the pub into the 21st century while remaining respectful of its history. In December 2017, they were named the best landlords in the Yorkshire and the Humber region by Punch Taverns, while in 2015 the White Lion was declared the best live music pub in the county. The building itself is Grade II listed and is included on CAMRA’s Yorkshire Regional Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, recognising its sympathetic refurbishments over the years. The entrance corridor was recently the cover star of the hugely popular Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs e-book. Meanwhile, the pub’s position as a community hub was confirmed in November 2016 when it attained Asset of Community Value status. On the beer front, there are four regular cask ales on offer, with a mixture of local and national breweries featured. Abbeydale Moonshine is always available, while the house beer, Lion’s Main, is brewed by Kelham Island. Wychwood Hobgoblin and Tetley Bitter are also regulars on the pumps. Additionally, there are up to eight changing guest beers which often include an interesting range of styles such as stouts and IPAs. We will be presenting the award to the White Lion on Tuesday 8 May, arriving from 8pm onwards for a presentation around 9pm. The pub is located at 615 London Road, S2 4HT, and is well-served by buses (routes 10, 20, 24, 25, 43, 44, X17 all stop nearby). We hope you can join us! Dominic Nelson

April Pub of the Month presentation

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
The second Tuesday of the month means it’s time for our Pub of the Month presentation and April’s award took us somewhere a little off the beaten track. For many of us, this was our first visit to the Ale House on Fraser Road, tucked away between Millhouses and Woodseats, but on this evidence it certainly won’t be the last! Locals and regulars who nominated the Ale House for the award turned out in their dozens to join CAMRA members for an evening of celebration. The atmosphere was jovial as landlady Sue Fawcett was presented with the certificate by vice-chairman Patrick Johnson. There was a real sense of camaraderie at this community pub, where many of the staff work voluntarily out of love for the place.
Left to right: Ellen Graveling, Val Avil, Chris Avil, Patrick Johnson, Sue Fawcett and Kay Smith.
On the six handpumps was an excellent range of mostly regional cask ales, with Saltaire, Dancing Duck and Brass Castle all appearing alongside Cornwall’s Harbour and Sussex’s Dark Star. A selection of sandwiches was also provided, which as always were very much appreciated. Congratulations once again to Sue and all the staff and regulars at the Ale House on their award! Dominic Nelson

Pub of the Year 2018

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
It will come as no surprise to many that the winner of our Pub of the Year award for 2018, as voted for by branch members, is the Kelham Island Tavern on Russell Street. The pub was previously known as the White Hart and until Trevor and Lewis opened it in its current guise back in 2002 it was closed, boarded up, and in danger of becoming derelict. The pub proved popular from day one and an extension was built at the rear to cope as well as the yard outside being developed into a pleasant beer garden. The pub serves three regular beers – Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Pictish Brewers Gold and Bradfield Farmers Blonde – and up to ten changing guest ales on handpump. The range covers a variety of beer styles with a dark beer (stout or porter) and a mild always available. A cider and perry is also available and on the keg lines there are various continental beer styles, plus a range of malt whiskies. A simple food menu is served at lunchtimes from 12-3pm every day except Sunday. Outside these hours there are often sandwiches and pork pies available. The bar is open from midday until midnight daily. The Kelham hosts their annual beer & cider festival at midsummer when an outside bar pops up in the beer garden. The pub also takes part in the folk music session festival spread across a number of venues over the Easter weekend. The rest of the year folk and other musicians gather in the back room to play most Sunday evenings. There is also a weekly quiz on Mondays. Part of the ongoing success of the Kelham including its many awards has been due to maintaining high standards. The beers are always well kept, reasonably priced and served by friendly staff into oversized lined glasses to ensure a full measure, the pub is always kept clean and tidy (they are also proud of their 5* food hygiene rating!) and customers are encouraged to keep their language civilised (if you have to swear, please drink elsewhere!). Although the standards and principles that the Kelham is run by hasn’t changed in the 15 years, this doesn’t mean there has been no innovation – there is now an extra keg line serving modern UK craft beers and bottled gluten free beer is available. We’ll be presenting the award certificate to the Kelham Island Tavern at 3pm on Saturday 12 May, so please come and join us for what is sure to be an enjoyable afternoon!

District Pub of the Year 2018

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
The Red Lion is the village pub in Litton, near Tideswell. It is a traditional stone building nestling on the village green offering a choice of cosy corners off a central passageway with a fireplace at the heart of the pub. The pub’s role as the village local has been recognised by Derbyshire Dales Council by listing it as an Asset of Community Value. The pub dates back to 1787 when it was converted from three miners’ cottages and, as with many good country pubs, there is a pub dog – Humphrey, a black Labrador. The pub also offers bed and breakfast accommodation with two rooms available upstairs if you want to use the pub as a base for a few days visiting the Peak District. The pub kitchen is open with the chef serving fresh food every day – Sunday 12-8pm, Monday-Thursday 12-3pm and 6-9pm, then Friday and Saturday 12-9pm. The Red Lion isn’t a big pub so it is advisable to book a table in advance if you plan to eat. On the bar there are four real ales offered including two regular LocAles – Abbeydale Absolution and Peak Ales Bakewell Best Bitter – and two changing guests. The beer quality is Cask Marque accredited and you can find out what beers are currently available and which are coming soon by visiting the pub’s website – theredlionlitton.co.uk. We will be running a minibus trip out to the Red Lion to present the award certificate; the date will be announced soon once the arrangements have been made.

Club of the Year 2018

Posted on by Dominic Nelson
It is with great pleasure we can reveal that the Interval Cafe Bar has been awarded Sheffield & District CAMRA Club of the Year for 2018. The University of Sheffield Students’ Union sits between Western Bank and Glossop Road and is a whole complex offering a raft of facilities for students including shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclub, music venue and even a cinema. One of the venues within the building is Interval, a modern cafe-bar that opens out onto the Union Beer Garden. Of the Students’ Union bars, this is the one that is geared more towards quality and sophistication than the others. A relaxed atmosphere is offered and during the daytime customers can be seen enjoying sandwiches, cakes, coffee and conversation, while in the evening they may be attending a special event and enjoying beer and pizza or one of the other meals or snacks offered (food is served until 9pm). Interval isn’t the only bar in the Student Union that offers real ale (there are handpumps in Bar One, for example), but it is the one that makes the most effort to provide and promote good beer. Seven handpumps can be found on the bar serving real ale and real cider with local favourite Abbeydale Moonshine being the regular house ale and a changing range of guest ales alongside it. Interval supports the University of Sheffield Real Ale & Cider Society who meet there for their social events and is also involved with the annual Students’ Union Beer & Cider Festival. This sees around 100 different real ales, ciders, perries and craft beers on offer across the Raynor Lounge, Union Beer Garden and Interval, plus food and music. The festival takes place over the May Day bank holiday weekend from Friday to Sunday and is open to the public. Our Clubs Officer will be presenting the award certificate to Interval manager Richard Jourdain on the Saturday of the festival (5 May) at around 4pm, and you are more than welcome to come and show some support and enjoy the festival!