Category: Pub of the Month Winners

Our Pub of the Month award winner, postponed from April, is the Wisewood Inn.

The Wisewood Inn re-opened their doors under the current ownership in October 2015, relaunching a pub that had struggled for at least ten years under various pub companies , it is now well supported by the local community. Since previously winning Pub of the Month in July 2017, they have expanded and made lots of positive changes to create an even better environment and the pub now has its very own on-site microbrewery – Loxley Brewery. The Wisewood Inn has four cask pumps serving Loxley Brewery ales, there are also two guest pumps which are rotated frequently, these pumps have seen many fine local breweries and many more from further afield. The ‘Cellar Bar’ has also been refurbished to an exceptional standard and is the perfect place to grab a pint in the winter months with the real log fire and candlelight. In the summer months, the roller blinds are opened up on to one of the largest beer gardens in Sheffield and the spectacular views of the Loxley Valley surround. The Cellar Bar is also the perfect place to have a function of any kind. The pub has also undergone a kitchen extension, serving delicious homemade food every day of the week but the Sunday Roasts are particularly popular! The Wisewood Inn had been planning on hosting their second beer festival in June which obviously hasn’t been possible, instead  advantage has been taken of the closure forced by the Covid-19 lockdown to start work early on the pub refurbishment that was originally planned for later in the year, so the pub will reopen looking great! The refurbishment has given the pub a new bar and and bar back. They’ve increased the hand-pumps from 5 to 6 and have a new set of keg lines. Their brewery has now started brewing keg beer and they are about to add new fermenters doubling their production capacity. Their beer range has now been rebranded to match their bottle branding with named beers replacing the previous numbered beers and to top it off they have a portable beer bar converted from a vintage Citroen van which in a former life delivered bread in France, so it has moved from selling one yeast product to another. The pub will be reopening on Monday 6th July operating under the government Covid-19 secure guidelines with table service, contactless payments and reservations required for food. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

JD Wetherspoon has come a long way since founder, Tim Martin, opened his first pub in Muswell Hill, London in 1979. More than 40 years later the estate boasts over 900 pubs spread the length and breadth of the UK. Success has been built on the provision of great value food and drink in a warm and friendly environment. From a real ale perspective this success is evidenced by the 250 pubs chosen by local branches for inclusion in the 2020 edition of the CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE. Sheffield got its first Wetherspoon pub in 1996 when the Bankers Draft opened at 1, Market Place on the site of the old Midland Bank building. This wasn’t a surprising location as the company is well-known for renovating and refurbishing old, and in many cases, historic buildings. The Banker’s soon became a popular place for friends to meet up in town. However, I believe that the pub has actually improved greatly in the last few years, especially since Jonathan Atkinson took charge. Jonathan and his partner, Terrianne McHale have been with the company for 15 years, the last 8 years at the Banker’s Draft. They are keen supporters of CAMRA. Local branch and nation and publications are prominently displayed in the pub. The venue has hosted branch meetings and has been a regular sponsor of the Sheffield Beer Festival. Regular real ales on the bar are Abbot Ale, Ruddles Bitter and Doom Bar. Additionally there are about 7 or 8 guest ales available at any time. These are dispensed from the 14 banks of hand pumps on the 2 floors. They always try to offer a range of styles, ABVs and a mix of local and national brews. There tends to be a regular seasonal ale. Favourite local breweries are Little Critters, Bradfield, Kelham Island, Milestone and Acorn. With the addition of Alex Crowe to the team the Banker’s is one of the few venues stocking Welbeck ales. In any case the pub is a go to venue for any new breweries in Sheffield. I know that Jonathan is very keen to increase the volume of real ale sold. To this end he has extended the normal company offer to CAMRA members by allowing an unlimited discount to card-carrying members. CAMRA is also an organisation that supports real cider. It is therefore very pleasing to find that apart from the Black Dragon on regular offer there are 5 guest still boxed ciders on at any time. These may include Broadoak Moonshine, Snails Bank Rhubarb and Monkey Mango. Given the overall success of JD Wetherspoon it is perhaps surprising that of their 9 pubs in Sheffield, opened at regular intervals since 1996, only one has ever been voted “Pub of the Month.” I am therefore delighted that the branch has chosen the Banker’s Draft as the winner of this prestigious award for February 2020. I know that Jonathan is too, and he hopes that as many branch members as possible come along on Tuesday, 11th February to join him and his team celebrate this success. Andrew Thorpe

A few years ago the Ball Inn, Crookes was refurbished and this included installing a new kitchen in the old stables at the back of the cobbled court yard. Part of the pub is a sports bar with TV screens with a large dining area at the rear but some of the original wooden panelling can still be seen and photos of bygone Crookes are on most walls.  There is stylish decking and surround at the front of the pub and at the back is a beer garden with heated smoking area. It is a Greene King pub with  14 hand pumps and  offers the normal range of Greene King beers and the guest beers are usually from Sheffield breweries and offers  CAMRA members a discount. Open from 10am for breakfasts, tea, coffee and cakes and serves meals throughout the day until 10pm weekdays and 9pm weekends.  There are a range of children’s and senior menus  and Sunday lunches are popular with specials available all week. Live music features on the last Friday of the month. Pub of the Month award will be presented to the manager, Simon Howard and his team on 10th December. The pub is on the 52/52A bus route so come along and join us. JOHN BEARDSHAW

The Old Queen’s Head, next to Sheffield Interchange, is believed to be the oldest domestic building in Sheffield. It began life as a hunting lodge for the nearby Sheffield Castle, and was built in the late 15th century for the Earl of Shrewsbury. A later Earl was the jailer of Mary, Queen of Scots, from whom the pub probably takes its name. It is now the only pub in Sheffield with Grade II* listing by Historic England (the other was the Carbrook Hall, no longer a pub). It is known to have become a beer house by the 1840’s and additions were made to the building later in that century. The pub passed through the hands of several breweries before being acquired by Thwaites in the 1990’s. The current interior format dates from a 1992 refurbishment and consists of three distinct areas. The front lounge, occupying the half-timbered older part of the building has an original fireplace and carved bay window overlooking the outside seating area. To the rear are two further seating areas around the central bar, and there is an upstairs function room. Mike and Suzana took on the pub seven years ago, and serve the core range of beers from the new Thwaites brewery, including Mild, Amber, Gold and IPA, together with up to three rotating guest beers usually with one from a local brewery. The pub opens from 10am to 11pm every day and food is available 12 to 9pm (4pm Sundays). The menu covers the usual pub favourites as well as pizzas, burgers, grills and roasts together with a selection of Czech specialities reflecting Mike and Suzana’s home town, Prague. The pub offers a cosy welcoming environment for weary travellers, shoppers and after work drinkers. We have arranged a social on Tuesday 12 November from 8.00pm to present the well- deserved award.

Hidden away off the bustle of Glossop Road and behind the former swimming baths is a gem of a traditional pub, the Bath Hotel on the corner of Victoria Street and Convent Walk. Formed from two cottages built in the late 1860’s, part was a grocers shop granted a licence in 1895, despite the ground lease stating that the site should not be used for the business of innkeeper, publican or beer house keeper. It acquired its present name in 1908 and was purchased by the Ind Coope Brewery during the Great War. The pub was remodelled to form its present layout in 1931, and has been virtually unaltered since, hence its inclusion in CAMRA’s national inventory of historic pub interiors. In the corner of the pub there is a cosy snug served through a small hatch. A corridor drinking area leads from the Convent Walk entrance to the main room which also has an entrance on Victoria Street. With the formation of Allied Breweries in 1964, the Bath became a Tetley house and was declared their first heritage pub in Sheffield in 1985. After a spell being run by one of the pubcos in the 90’s it became a freehouse, and since 2012 it has been operated by Thornbridge Brewery. The knowledgeable and friendly staff make this a welcoming watering hole The six handpumps usually dispense three Thornbridge beers and three guest beers selected from the more interesting independent brewers around the country. There’s also a good range of keg and bottled beers together with around 30 malt whiskies. Food is limited to pork pies and sausage rolls, supplemented with hot roast pork sandwiches on Friday and Saturday. There’s a weekly pub quiz, regular live music including acoustic blues, American folk and gypsy jazz, and a monthly writers’ group. The Bath is open daily from 12 to 11pm (midnight Fri/Sat), closed Sunday. Join us for the well-deserved Pub of the Month presentation on Tuesday 8^th October from 8pm. Buses 51,52,120; tram to West St or University.

My history with The Commercial runs not nearly as deep as it does for many, nor does my frequency of patronage approach anything that might offer me license to think of myself as a regular. These things notwithstanding, I felt instantly compelled to nominate this fine establishment for a PotM award when I was last leaning upon their most estimable bar, learning that they were eligible again (their last nomination was quite some time ago). The occasion of said visit is itself reason enough to justify the nomination, since I was there to present the landlord with an award to acknowledge a noteworthy achievement, namely, 20 consecutive years in The Good Beer Guide. I can vividly recall my first visit to The Commercial, for ‘twas a day upon which I was returning to Sheffield from Leeds. A friend offered to drive me and another down, rather than have us catch the train. The driver was to visit his family in Chapeltown, so it seemed like a sensible marriage of objectives. Upon arriving into Sheffield’s northernmost parts, it was suggested we visit The Commercial to help alleviate the symptoms of our previous night’s indulgence. Walking in, it immediately became clear that the choice to have a Saturday afternoon beer in this particular spot was no accident. The bar was a forest of beer engines (at that time, serving numerous ales from the now defunct Wentworth Brewery), there was an abundance of polished wood and brass… and a dartboard! That particular afternoon slipped by in perfect contentment and it was a shame that we couldn’t stay there (upright) all day. I always look forward to returning to The Commercial and take opportunities to introduce the place, wherever necessary, to those that have yet to have had the pleasure. Of course, there are all sorts of things that recommend this pub to its patrons, chief among these being the terrifically popular monthly whisky tasting events, the hearty food, the friendly staff and the indefatigable landlord. I find the Commercial, at once, remarkable yet unremarkable. It is a place of plain, winsome beauty that serves glorious, well-conditioned beer. In short, it is an unadulterated delight to spend time in Chapeltown’s most decorated public house. Patrick Johnson

Serving real ales now for over 7 years, this former 1960s estate pub has reinvented itself as a real ale haven. The Ale House is a hidden gem. A true free house serving 6 ever-changing cask ales from a wide variety of breweries both local and from further afield, including Drone Valley, Saltaire, Hambletons, Dancing Duck and Dark Star. These are complemented by keg beers, ciders and Sam Smith’s lagers. With practical support from local volunteers, this dog and child friendly pub has become a firm favourite with all who use it; a proper community pub. Regular events include home-made food every Friday evening and a pub quiz on Thursdays. There are also occasional tasting evenings of gin, vodka, whisky and beers. A function room is available for hire for a variety of events, weddings, wakes, parties and all kinds of celebrations. Occasional live music nights are advertised on the pub’s Facebook site. Current beers and Friday menus can also be found there. Al We’ll be down at the Ale House to present their pub of the month winners certificate on the evening of Tuesday 13th August, from 8pm, all are welcome to join us for a beer or two! The pub is at the bottom end of Fraser Road, just off Archer Road in Millhouses, where bus 86 will get you to.

Congratulations to the Dog & Partridge for becoming a worthy winner of the Sheffield and District CAMRA Pub of The Month. This award is designed to highlight pubs serving good real ale in friendly and comfortable surroundings. The Dog scores on all points, with beer quality always high. To enjoy the celebrations, join us on Tuesday 11^th.June from 20:00 (presentation at 21:00). Dating back to 1796, The Dog and Partridge is a cosy multi-room dog-friendly pub in Sheffield city centre. Many activities take place onsite. These include folk events, games nights and a weekly quiz: 6.00 p.m. every Tuesday. Since early 2013, the Dog and Partridge has been led by Landlord, Conor Smith. Conor, and his team, utilise four hand-pumps to provide an ever-changing range of quality beers, mostly from local breweries: a regular Bitter (usually Stancil) and Stout (often Chantry), one pump dedicated to specials from Abbeydale with the fourth pump providing a wide range of guests. Recently these have included Ashover, Bad Seed, Blue Bee, Great Newsome and Magic Rock. They also serve ‘the best Guinness outside Dublin.’ A 10% discount is available for card-carrying CAMRA members. Previously Pub of the Month in March 2014, the Dog and Partridge is on the CAMRA Regional Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors: for pubs that are of ‘some regional importance’ (SRI), meaning that specific features are of sufficient quality for the pub to be considered noteworthy. Although the interior of four rooms has been opened-out and modernised, the original layout is still visible; there is some inter-war tiling on the right-hand side of the corridor into the pub and one nearly intact room. The central snug has been spared from excessive change. Cosy and genuinely historic, this little room retains its old fireplace, original door and fixed seating, with a wide panel above still having bell pushes from the days of table service. The fireplace is also very old but has a modern hearth. Graffiti, of various ages, is carved into the woodwork. 1974 plans proposed that this snug become a male toilet and the servery re-configured. Luckily, these alterations did not materialise. Further alterations in 1989 saw the pub extend into a neighbouring shop, creating the snug to the left of the entrance. The three-storey stone building also has good ‘DOG & PARTRIDGE GILMOURS WINDSOR ALES & STOUTS’ raised lettering on the fascia and an interesting sign above the entrance. The pub opens at 12 noon daily, closing at 11:00 p.m., Monday – Thursday, 11:30 Friday and Saturday and 10:00 p.m. on Sunday. Home-made food is available Tuesday – Saturday, lunchtimes and early evening (12-2 and 5-9).

• Dave Pickersgill

The Ale Club on Ecclesall Road is a relative newcomer to the Sheffield beer scene having only opened its doors in November 2017. However, over the last 18 months this micropub and bottle shop has gained a healthy reputation for its varied selection of real ales and craft beers and is a worthy winner of this month’s Pub of the Month award. For those who haven’t visited before, the Ale Club acts as the brewery tap for Sheffield-owned cuckoo brewery The Brew Foundation (the brewing is actually done at Wincle in Cheshire). Brewer James Eardley opened the bar in order to showcase some of the brewery’s offerings such as Little Bitter That (3.8% English bitter), Laughing Water (4.3% hoppy pale), Janet’s Treat (4.8% chocolate cherry porter), Wheat Your Heart Out (6.0% white IPA) and Free Beer (4.4% APA which is both gluten free and vegan!). There are five well-kept real ales on offer, always including at least one from the Brew Foundation range. Guest beers include interesting choices from well-known independent breweries such as Hawkshead and Blackjack, as well smaller local brewers including Lost Industry, Crosspool Ale Makers Society and Holmfirth’s Three Fiends Brewhouse. If you’re in search of craft beer you won’t be disappointed either with eight keg lines and more than 130 bottles and cans, ranging from the more traditional styles to juicy IPAs, big imperial stouts and funky Belgian gueuzes. Some of the UK’s biggest craft names such as Verdant, Cloudwater, Kernel and Northern Monk feature regularly. As well as having a great range of ales and beers, the Ale Club is a really interesting place to sit and enjoy them. Step through the door and you’re transported from the noise and bustle of Ecclesall Road into a world inspired by old-school private members’ clubs where the lighting is low and the walls and bookcases are adorned with knick-knacks and curiosities from around the globe. If the weather’s nice (and you get there early!) there are also a couple of tables out the front for those who prefer to imbibe al fresco. Congratulations to James and all the staff at the Ale Club on their award, which we hope will be the first of many. We will be handing over the certificate on Tuesday 14 May, as usual arriving from around 8pm for a presentation at 9pm. The pub is located at 429 Ecclesall Road, S11 8PG and is well served by local buses (65, 81, 82, 83, 88 and 272). Hope to see you there!

Hidden away behind West Street, the Red Deer on Pitt Street is definitely one of the gems of the City Centre real ale scene. Originally dating from 1825, the pub originally comprised three small rooms with a central bar area. This was opened out in the 1980s and the bar repositioned to provide the present format with an L-shaped lounge. The “gallery”, a raised area towards the rear of the pub, was added in 1993 and this leads on to a beer garden. Formerly a Tetley’s pub (and Gilmours before that), for many years in the early days of Sheffield & District CAMRA, the Red Deer was the regular meeting place for the branch, as it was one of the few Sheffield pubs to retain handpumps.

Licensee Jake Nickles took over the pub in August 2010, having previously worked in pubs and bars in London and the Midlands. His focus on customer service and real ale quickly re-established the pub’s reputation for showcasing quality cask beer. The bar displays an impressive range of eight real ales, with regular offerings from Blue Bee, Moorhouse’s and Welbeck Abbey, along with oft-changing guest beers. There is a hand-pulled cider too, whilst a good selection of malt whiskies is also available.

The Red Deer has been a prolific winner of our Pub of the Month accolade over the years, with the most recent award coming back in August 2015. As well as real ale drinkers, it remains popular with students from the nearby University of Sheffield, and since 2016 the gable end has featured a large mural of a girl reading a book, painted by Austrian artist Frau Isa.

The pub is open from noon-midnight Monday to Thursday, noon-1am Friday and Saturday, and noon-11pm Sunday. Quality pub food is available every day, and in recent years there has been a focus on vegan and vegetarian food, so everyone is catered to. On Tuesday evenings there is a fairly challenging pub quiz, plus regular live music Saturday nights and alternate Sundays. CAMRA members can enjoy a 10% discount on pints of real ale and real cider.

We will be presenting the Red Deer with their well-deserved award on Tuesday 12 March, arriving from 8pm onwards. We hope you can join us!