Category: Pub of the Month Winners

The Gardeners Rest on Neepsend Lane is our April Pub of the Month. Sitting on the River Don, the pub has long been a favourite with local real ale drinkers and continues to attract both regulars and visitors to the area.

The pub dates from 1898. After significant flood damage in 2007 the building underwent refurbishment before reopening in 2009, and in 2017 it was purchased by the Gardeners Rest Community Society, making it Sheffield’s first community-owned pub. The 382 initial investors raised over £237000 between them, and in the years since their numbers have increased to over 430.

The pub is split into several areas. There is a main bar area where music events are held regularly, and to the left of the entrance is a small billiards room in the former dram shop. To the rear is a conservatory which leads out into an eclectically decorated garden overlooking the Don.

Up to six cask ales are typically available, with a regularly changing lineup sourced from independent breweries from across the country. CAMRA members can receive a discount.

The Gardeners Rest is well known for its community focus, hosting live music, quizzes and a range of local events throughout the year, including beer festivals. They are also the host for Sheffield & District CAMRA’s beer festival planning meeting in preparation for Steel City each year.  With its welcoming atmosphere, varied beer selection and strong ties to the neighbourhood, it is a deserving recipient of our Pub of the Month award.

Join us for a beer and the presentation of the award at the pub on 21 April from 8pm.

Our March pub of the month is the Two & Six on Snig Hill in Sheffield City Centre. This popular and welcoming micropub was opened in 2023 by Juliet and Dan, who have two connected units on the small parade – number 26, which gave the pub its name in pre-decimalisation currency, and number 24 next door which they offer for rental as a gallery, meeting or events space. 

In prior incarnations the micropub has had a range of uses, including a gallery, local theatre company, and a ‘selfie centre’ with local street art. It has since been fully refurbished to be a welcoming wood-panelled space with bespoke furniture. As well as pump clips of previously served beers, the walls are also full of pictures of former Sheffield pubs, all now sadly closed.

The Two & Six offers four real ales always including a session and mid-strength pale, a dark line, and a strong line. Juliet and Dan aim to stock beers not commonly seen in Sheffield, and have recently had a number from brewers such as Jolly Sailor, Brid’s Cross and Wishbone – these careful picks make the micropub an integral part of the route for any beer ticker. There are also two real ciders, usually one fruited and one standard. Finishing the beer lineup are an imported German lager and three craft kegs, one of which is always gluten free. The bar also offers a substantial range of gins and other spirits, and wines.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, the bar is home to some regular events. Each Sunday at 8.45 there is a quiz with prizes including beer vouchers for winners, and biscuits for the losers. On the second Monday of the month (an exception to their usual opening hours) the Two & Six is home to Sheffield’s Laurel and Hardy Brats Tent, ‘The Sons of the Desert’ – one of a number of UK groups who get together to celebrate the works of Laurel and Hardy.

Join us for a special Sheffield Beer Week edition of our award presentation on Thursday 12 March at 8.30pm. Juliet and Dan aim to have beers originating from Sheffield tapped, including some brewers they’ve not previously stocked.

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Thanks for the many votes we received in January – it may have been a record! Nominations are always open on our revamped nomination form, and are ratified at each month’s committee meeting (third Tuesday). Voting then opens until the branch meeting (first Tuesday). If you have feedback on the process or the new form, contact us at potm@sheffield.camra.org.uk. 

As always, please consider visiting and nominating venues you may not have been to before, and supporting the excellent independent businesses in our branch area.

The Raven Inn on Palm Street, Walkley, opened in November 2019, an unexpectedly challenging period for any business – let alone a new pub. Formerly the Palm Tree, the Raven underwent an extensive refurbishment before opening. The mixed contemporary and traditional interior consists of wooden furniture with contrasting walls adorned with antlered light fixtures.

The Raven Inn is Loxley Brewery’s second pub, following the Wisewood Inn in Loxley and preceding Sharrow Vale’s ‘No.3’. It offers five of Loxley’s own real ales and a rotating guest real cider alongside nine keg lines including guest craft keg, Loxley’s own craft offerings, and a lager. 

To the rear is a very spacious beer garden which in the warmer months usually hosts a pop-up kitchen on weekend evenings. Throughout the year a variety of pork pies, sausage rolls and scotch eggs are available over the bar every weekend. Each Wednesday there is a pub quiz at 8pm and other one-off events including live music are listed on the pub’s social media feeds.

Join us for a drink at the Raven on 10 February at 8.30pm where they’ll be presented with February’s Pub of the Month award.

Getting there: buses 52a and 95 stop a short walk away on Walkley Road or South Road.

Happy new year to everyone, and thanks for all your nominations and votes over the last 6 months. Nominations are always open on our revamped nomination form, and are ratified at each month’s committee meeting (third Tuesday). Voting then opens until the branch meeting (first Tuesday). If you have feedback on the process or the new form, contact us at potm@sheffield.camra.org.uk.

This time of year is always the hardest for pubs, and 2026 will be no exception – at the time of writing both Turner’s bottle shop and the Closed Shop have already announced their closures. Please consider visiting and nominating venues you may not have been to before, and supporting independent businesses in our branch area.

The Beer House Hillsborough (recently renamed from the Beer House S6) is the sister pub of the Beer House on Ecclesall Road and opened in May 2023, joining several other micropubs opening in Hillsborough in recent years. 

While the micropub remains under the same ownership, new manager Karl has undertaken a gentle rebrand over the last part of 2025, with new external signage. Their emphasis on serving good beer and being a part of the Hillsborough community has continued, reflected in the nomination and award of Pub of the Month from local members.

In the heart of Hillsborough and positioned handily on the inbound tram stop, the venue was in the early 90s a Famous Army Stores before becoming Mad Harry’s Discount Warehouse. As noted by locals in The Star in 2023, the Beer House was a welcomed new addition to HIllsborough.

The open planned yet cozy bar has six cask lines and five craft keg on rotation. The micropub places importance on both variety and quality, stocking from breweries such as Two by Two (always on one line), Pentrich, Elusive, Black Iris, and North Riding, among many others. They always have an unusual flavoured stout on offer, a best bitter, and a range of pales.

Unusually for a micropub there is a fully utilised basement room, with a centrally located staircase leading down to a games room where you can enjoy pool and darts. They also run a Wednesday night pub quiz, for which booking is recommended.

Atmosphere and community is just as important as the real ale offering in this Hillsborough micropub, and this award is well deserved. Join us on Tuesday 13 January at 8:30pm to celebrate this award and enjoy a few drinks!

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Thanks to everyone who has nominated or voted in our Pub of the Month competition since we refreshed the rules and relaunched for August. Since then we have awarded a PotM every month – we’re now finished for the year as there is no award given in December. This lets us (and the pubs!) focus on the busy Christmas period.

Nominations are open for February 2026’s award and voting will open around Christmas – check the website or your inbox closer to the time as the voting will close at our branch meeting on 6 January.

Our pub of the month for November 2025 is the Dog & Partridge in central Sheffield. With full disclosure in mind, the pub has long been a friend to the local branch with owners Sarah and Conor Smith offering the snug as a meeting room for our committee, and the pub receiving deliveries of Beer Matters for us each month. It’s great to see them recognised by our membership with an award.

The pub itself dates back to 1796 – one of the oldest still operating in Sheffield, and is on the CAMRA Local Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. It has a fairly traditional layout, most notably featuring a relatively unaltered snug (the venue for committee meetings) featuring an old fireplace with a more modern hearth, a serving hatch, and original bell pushes for table service – now only ornamental. There are three other larger rooms with a central bar. The exterior still has raised lettering for ‘Gilmours Windsor Ales & Stouts’ above the entryway.

On the bar are 4 cask lines, usually including at least one Abbeydale beer, with a choice of a bitter, a stout and 2 paler options. There is also a central column of 4 craft keg lines, and a further 8 keg lines for lagers, ciders, and the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Irish Stouts; Guinness, Murphy’s, and Beamish (as of writing this is claimed to be the only pub in S Yorks offering Beamish). These offerings earn them a spot on Sheffield’s legendary ‘Irish Triangle’.

The pub offers a range of events including a quiz night every Tuesday at 7pm followed by ‘Irish Bingo’ at around 8.30. There are music sessions every Monday, Wednesday, Sunday and two Thursdays a month, a Bi-Monthly “Dogfest” music Festival (next is on November 29th), as well as live gigs every other Saturday night. For advance information on any of these check the pub’s socials and website.

They also offer an Irish pub food menu including a ‘spice bag’ inspired by Ireland’s chinese takeaway menus, chicken fillet rolls, as well as specials.

Join us on Tuesday 11 November at around 8pm after the quiz finishes (or join in and see how you do!) for the presentation of their award.

The Wellington on Shalesmoor is our Pub of the Month for October 2025. Built in 1839 and refitted in 1940, it has a 3 room layout with a beer garden to the rear. In September 2023 it was added to the South Yorkshire Heritage List, and also features as the cover image of the fifth edition of Sheffield’s Heritage Pubs.

The pub serves as a taproom for Neepsend brewery, which can be found regularly occupying several of its six hand pumps. Neepsend Blond is always available, with the rest of the lineup being at least one each of a pale, dark, stronger ale over 5%, and a bitter. The Wellington often has guest ales from breweries such as Bang the Elephant, Pentrich and Shiny. They have a good range of craft keg including four lines from Neepsend and a further four guest taps.

Every Tuesday at 20:30 is a pub quiz, and there are often whisky tastings which require advance booking. The Wellington offers a large selection of whiskies often with a featured whisky of the week. 

However, there is a final element of the Wellington’s popularity –  the sandwiches. The Wellington doesn’t offer hot food, but it does (while stocks last) offer giant pub-style clingfilm-wrapped sandwiches usually with potted meat, cheese & onion, or dripping – for £1. They’re mentioned in many online reviews, forums and social media posts – and in the nominations and votes for this award!

Join us for the PotM presentation at the Wellington on Wednesday 22 October at 20:30. 

Get there by tram (Shalesmoor) or buses 57/57a, 81/82 or 86.

We’ve now awarded a monthly PotM award for 3 consecutive months. If you have any feedback on the process so far feel free to get in touch at potm@sheffield.CAMRA.org. 

Nominations for awards are usually open after the first Tuesday in the month (Branch Meeting) and close on the 4th Tuesday in the month (Committee Meeting). You can nominate in person at meetings, via a committee member, or using the website.

The Red Lion Inn is a Grade II–listed public house located on the village green in Litton, Derbyshire. The building was converted from three miners’ cottages into a pub in 1787, and over 200 years later in 2024 it was taken over by Tomas and Kristina.

The property was added to the National Heritage List for England on 12 July 1967 in recognition of its architectural and historic interest.

The interior has a traditional layout, with small rooms, exposed stone walls, wood panelling, and open fireplaces. They also have two guest rooms which can be booked for overnight accommodation.

The kitchen offers a menu of traditional British dishes and operates daily, with a break in service during mid-afternoon Monday to Thursday.

Cask ales from Derbyshire and South Yorkshire breweries are regularly available – on our recent social we enjoyed beers from Acorn and Eyam. 

The Red Lion hosts quiz nights on the first Monday of the month, and other community activities which are advertised on their website and social media. It was previously named Sheffield & District CAMRA Pub of the Year for the Derbyshire area in 2023.

On 26-27 September they’ll be having their second Oktoberfest event with special beers, food and entertainment on offer. Check their social media for further information.

Join us for the award presentation at 3pm on Saturday 20 September. Bus 65 from Sheffield Interchange at 13:35 will arrive in Litton at 14:50. Litton is also served by bus 173 (Castleton-Bakewell).

We are now in our second month of ensuring we award a PotM 11 times a year. Thanks to those who nominated and voted on the September entries. Alongside our winner the Red Lion in Litton, we received nominations for Stables Bar (at the Monsal Head Hotel & Bar) and the Old Nag’s Head in Edale. Both are great pubs in our branch area that were considered worthy of nominations by members, so do pay them a visit.

Nominations are once again open until the Committee meeting on 26 August – you can nominate in person at meetings, via a committee member, or using the website.

The Harlequin, a pub with a history dating back to 1845, is located on Nursery Street in Sheffield, in the Kelham Island area of our branch. 

The pub has a large open-plan interior with a central bar, and seating across two levels. Historically, it was known as the Manchester Railway Hotel before, and in 2006 was renamed The Harlequin after a now-demolished Ward’s pub around the corner.

After closing in early 2024 it reopened In late July the same year under the ownership of Chris Bamford and Kate Major, who also run The Rutland Arms and The Crow Inn in Sheffield. A high quality renovation was completed prior to the reopening, which included interior and exterior updates, including a new green and red frontage to match the Harlequin character on the signage. The interior decor incorporates photos of Sheffield and the pub’s history. A brand new addition for summer 2025 is a pair of long benches on the pavement to the front of the pub, so with its rear courtyard the pub now offers two external seating areas. There is an upstairs room which can be used for private events.

The beer selection under the new management includes seven cask beers and three cask ciders, in addition to 12 keg lines and two keg ciders. The cask ale range typically features Kirkstall Bitter alongside a varied range of guests – Kernel, North Riding, Torrside and Big Trip are regularly seen. There is also a huge range of spirits, local mead, and a fridge full of cans and bottles of craft beer and cider.

There are regular live music nights which you can find advertised on the pub’s social media, and a quiz every Wednesday night at 8.30pm. 

Shortly after reopening the Harlequin introduced food at lunchtimes and evenings. There is a lunch menu of sandwiches, an all day menu including chip butties, burgers, fish and chips and vegan curries, and often specials available.

We are presenting Ethan, Lizzie, Chris, Oly, Isra and Theo with their award on 12 August at 8pm – join us there for a beer or two!

GETTING THERE: buses 7, 8/8a and 75/75a stop pretty much outside the pub.

The Sheaf View at Heeley has been voted as Pub of the Month for March 2025 by our members.

The 19th century pub, near Heeley City Farm became a real ale oasis since reopening as a free house in 2000. The walls and shelves are adorned with breweriana and provide an ideal background for good drinking and conversations. Outside there is plenty of seating, with great views across the Sheaf valley and an outside bar.

The pub changed ownership becoming part of the Trust Inns estate (along with the Blake Hotel) in 2022. Day to day management however has remained unchanged. The pub was refurbished both internally and externally in the summer of 2024, ready for its 25th Year of trading.

They provide eight casks ales, 4 from Neepsend Brewery (Celebrating its 10th Birthday this year) and 4 guest ales. A wide range of Belgian and other continental beers, an incredible selection of malt whiskies and traditional cider are also available.

This is a popular local pub and especially so on Wednesday quiz nights and Sheffield United match days. Throughout the year The Sheaf also hosts occasional events such as beer festivals, comedy and live music sessions.

The Sheaf View has now won the Sheffield South – Pub of the Year award 5 times (every time it has been awarded since the area awards were started in 2019)

We are presenting their award on the evening of Tuesday 11th March, all are welcome to join us there from 8pm for a beer or two!

Our January winner, as voted for by local CAMRA members, is the Two & Six Micropub on Snig Hill in Sheffield City Centre. The name and logo of the venue is themed around old fashioned British money, however the inspiration was much simpler – the address of the premises is number 26!

There was a micropub in the same premised previously although it was relatively short lived – The Social was part of a wider social enterprise initiative and only opened limited hours. The Two & Six was opened by Juliet, who was previously employed as the manager of the Social and saw potential of how it could be if she ran it as her own business along with partner Dan.

Before reopening in 2023, the place was redecorated and new furniture was brought in giving it a nice cosy pub feel. There is a second room attached which is used to host events like art exhibitions and is also used by local members of “Sons of the Desert” Laurel & Hardy appreciation society for film screenings!

This micropub attracts a nice mix of people and has a friendly atmosphere and you find some people sat near the bar enjoying chat and maybe a little banter whilst in the window you often find groups playing board games or simply quietly reading a book! There are also some tables outside on the pavement that can be in demand when the weather is a little warmer. A quiz night is hosted every Sunday at 8:45pm.

On the bar there are 4 handpumps serving cask ale with a mix of styles on offer plus one for traditional cider. The keg taps also include one or two interesting craft beers.

We’ll be presenting the award on the evening of Thursday 16 January, join us for a beer or cider there from about 8pm.