Voting is now underway for the Club of the Year 2024 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.
The eligible pubs have been deemed to have fantastic atmosphere, welcoming surroundings and most importantly, top quality real ale served in great condition and have been nominated by local CAMRA members.
The voting process is the same as for our Pub of the Year award, with members either selecting pubs in order of preference or selecting pubs 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 20 February 2024.
You must be a CAMRA member to vote. Not a member? Join now!
I’m getting a sense of déjà vu writing about Shakespeares for Pub of the Month… There have been a few changes since my last piece, not least manager Lucienne moving on to a career on the brewery side of the trade, and Tom stepping into her place. The pub has also just won another accolade in the form of the annual Pints of Sheffield Battle of the Boozers on the Instagrams.
One of the things I love about the local beer scene is that while other cities have some great craft bars and some great traditional pubs selling trad beer, Sheffield is almost unique in having proper pubs selling top tier craft beers (as well as superb cask of course). Shakespeares is a perfect example of this, being a proper old school pub with cask beers from across the country rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in craft from around the world (and some more obscure of course!).
Only a few of the more senior members of the branch will remember the pub’s opening in 1821, since when it has passed through various breweries’ (notably Wards) and pubcos’ ownership, and closure, before opening as a fully independent free house in 2011. In its current guise over 7,500 different cask beers have been sold plus about 2,000 keg. Permanent fixtures on cask are Red Willow Feckless and Abbeydale Deception while the rest of the handpumps host the ever-changing guests. The keg taps feature beers from within a mile to the other side of the planet, almost always including an imperial stout, a sour or two, various IPAs and usually some crazy ****. If that really isn’t enough there’s a large list of cans and bottles available from the cellar. There is also an impressive selection of whiskies and a smaller selection of whiskeys and rums (the latter needs to expand, hint hint…).
The pub itself retains a multi-room layout with rooms on all four sides of the central bar area, including a bustling front bar area, a (usually) quieter ‘clock room’ to the side, and the ‘long room’ with bench seating and a dartboard. Upstairs are two function rooms, a larger one regularly featuring live bands and a smaller one sometimes used for pub games and a couple of times a year for the festival cask bar, often including beers not seen anywhere else on cask (or in some cases at all!). Outside is a large paved beer garden which catches the evening sunlight, with a small covered area for more typical British weather…
Oh, and the sofa is still my Spot, so anyone who isn’t me should keep out!
Our Club of the Year competition is now underway. Any club within the Sheffield & District CAMRA branch area that serves real ale is eligible for entry.
CAMRA campaigns to protect and promote clubs, which are important community assets that promote the social well being of their local area. The Club of the Year competition is run with the simple aim of finding the best clubs with the greatest commitment to quality real ale – those which offer a fantastic atmosphere, welcoming surroundings and most importantly, top quality real ale served in great condition.
We are running a two part process
Sheffield & District CAMRA members can nominate clubs they think deserve recognition from 5 December until 8 January
Sheffield & District CAMRA members are then asked to vote for the club on the nominations list they think is the best club in the area for real ale. Voting will open from the branch meeting on 9 January where members can collect a paper voting form, alternatively online voting will be available.
The winning club will be presented with a certificate and entered into the regional round of the national competition.
TO NOMINATE A CLUB…
Please email the details of the club you wish to nominate along with your name and membership number to vicechair@sheffield.camra.org.uk.
Our Cider Pub of the Year competition is now underway. Any pub within the Sheffield & District CAMRA branch area that serves real cider and/or perry is eligible for entry.
The award is designed to celebrate pubs that make the effort to serve and promote the proper product and encourage drinkers to visit them and try the real thing.
We are running a two part process
Sheffield & District CAMRA members can nominate pubs they think deserve recognition for their cider/perry offering from 5 December until 8 January
Sheffield & District CAMRA members are then asked to vote for the pub on the nominations list they think is the best pub in the area for Cider & Perry. Voting will open from the branch meeting on 9 January where members can collect a paper voting form, alternatively online voting will be available.
The winning pub will be presented with a certificate and entered into the regional round of the national competition.
TO NOMINATE A PUB…
Please email the details of the pub/bar you wish to nominate along with your name and membership number to vicechair@sheffield.camra.org.uk.
Voting is now open for our entries into the Good Beer Guide 2025. As in recent years, we are hoping to nominate 30 pubs within the Sheffield city boundaries and a further six from the Derbyshire part of the branch. We are now allowing you one wildcard entry in each area but it must serve real ale.
All Sheffield & District CAMRA members are able to take part in voting by selecting the allowed number of pubs on the form below.
Forms must be received by 20 January 2024 to allow the selection committee time to visit the nominated pubs to confirm they are eligible.
You must be a CAMRA member to vote. Not a member? Join now!
Voting is now underway for the Pub of the Year 2024 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.
The eligible pubs are those that have won a Pub of the Month award or been awarded a place in the Good Beer Guide over this last year.
The voting process remains the same as in previous years, with members either selecting up to ten pubs in order of preference or selecting ten 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 20 January 2024.
You must be a CAMRA member to vote. Not a member? Join now!
Phil Ellett presents POM award to manager Jason Kerr, second right, of the Walkley Beer Company
Walkley Beer Company opened in 2014 in a former florists shop. Over the years it has increased its opening hours from weekends only and is now only closed on Mondays.
Technically not a micropub but an Off License shop with a tasting bar, it is described by themselves as “A local living room offering on and off sales.” and I concur with this description.
Their normal offering is a cider and two cask ales on hand-pull along with 6 keg beers on draft. Follow on beers and ciders are lined up ready to replace those that have sold out. This is in addition to fridge after fridge of bottled and canned beers.
Walkley Beer Co has a very friendly atmosphere and clientele and they offer a constantly changing range of cask/keg beers from both local breweries and others the length and breath of the UK.
Their normal opening hours are 4pm-10pm Tue-Fri and 2pm-10pm Sat-Sun.
The presentation will take place at the Walkley Beer Company on the evening of Tuesday 14 November, join us from 8pm for a beer or two! Bus 95/95a goes past the front door or bus 52/52a are just a short walk away.
Here are the pubs currently on the voting form, which can be found online at sheffield.camra.org.uk.
RAILWAY, WADSLEY BRIDGE
A classic old multi-roomed pub that came into new ownership post Covid and is slowly being refurbished inside and out, other changes already implemented is opening throughout the week, an increase in the choice of cask ales and handpump and the addition of craft beer to the keg taps. The pub also features retro arcade games and pinball, pool tables, classic juke box, stage for live music and sports on TV in some rooms. It also has an outdoor drinking area at rear.
Getting there: Bus 7, 8, 86 and 97 pass the front door.
CRAFTWORKS, MOSBOROUGH
Two shop units converted into a bar with some great real ales and other craft beers plus of course wines and spirits too. It opens all day and also serves decent coffee and a selection of cakes. Some evenings has entertainment such as a pub quiz or singer.
Getting there: buses 50, 50a, 53 and 55 pass the front door.
OXBOW, WOODHOUSE MILL
This little micropub is what the Americans might term a “neighbourhood bar”, ie a traditional community local in miniature with friendly regulars. Since opening the venue has extended a little bit with the construction of a sheltered seating area outside between the shop front and pavement. The bar features good quality craft beers on both cask and keg. Note card payment only.
Getting there: bus 52 stops outside or bus X5 stops just around the corner on the main road.
RUTLAND ARMS, CITY CENTRE
One of the classic boozers of the City Centre, the heritage tiled exterior sitting alongside more modern artwork on the beer garden wall giving you a clue what to expect inside – a fairly traditional interior but with lots of examples of the modestly punk attitude and humour of the staff and customers covering the walls whilst on the bar traditional real ales sit next to a varied range of modern craft beers. The food menu offers drinkers ballast like chip butties alongside specials that a fancy bistro might be proud of.
Getting there: buses 10, 10a, 32, 56, 57, 57a, 65, 95, 95a, 218, 271 and 272 stop outside; there are also many other buses, trains and trams a short walk away.
CROW INN, WEST BAR
The Crow was opened in its current guise in 2019 after a full refit, under previous ownership it had been operating as a budget hotel. It continues to offer rooms upstairs which have been refurbished to a modern and comfortable standard whilst on the ground floor it has been restored as a pub with a comfortable lounge area and a bar serving a selection of craft beers on cask and keg by friendly and knowledgeable staff, the spirits list is also rather credible too! Snacks available include pork pies and sausage rolls.
Getting there: bus 31 stops outside or buses 57, 57a, 81, 82 and 86 stop a few minutes walk away on Gibraltar Street.
No-one, in their right mind, would open a brand-new pub on Friday the spooky old 13th of the month… would they? Anyway, on Friday 13th May last year, the Boston Arms opened its doors for the very first time. They needn’t have worried, though. Opening night went very well, and the pub has gone from strength to strength ever since.
The pub is situated in a former insurance brokers’ office in the Woodseats area to the south of the city. The conversion to a pub included the installation of a distinctive suspended ceiling, and proper wood flooring. Three hand-pumps grace the bar, with the beers usually from independent breweries, and always one from a Sheffield brewery. Eight keg fonts add to the range, and the eclectic ‘fridge of fun’ is a must for fans of small-pack, or take-out for later!
The Boston Arms has been described as ‘the biggest micro-pub in the city’ and understandably so. The front bar area, rear lounge, and a room up some (reasonably steep) stairs have now been complemented by the recently opened ‘secret garden’ and converted out-building – the Boston Bothy – adding yet more capacity. The Boston retains the micro-pub ethic throughout, with no slot machines, no pool table, no sport on big screens – just good beer and good banter, and a well-chosen selection of background music.
But pubs these days need to rely on more than booze and banter to survive. The Boston Arms has excelled in this area. A full coffee menu is available from local roasters Smith Street Coffee, and artisan cakes and pastries will tempt anyone to start the diet tomorrow. A weekly charity quiz is well supported, and live music has proved popular. More left-field events have included night choirs, a ceramics workshop and live dog-portait painting (really). All in all, a true community local.
With its dedication to decent beer, in comfortable surroundings, and a genuine emphasis on the local community, it is little wonder that the Boston Arms has taken just over a year to go from Friday 13th start-up to Sheffield CAMRA Pub of the Month.
Richard Hough
Award being received by manager Robbie Macdonald from Beer Matters magazine editor Andy Cullen
