Category: Pubs

The Plough Community Campaign submitted a bid to purchase the Plough in mid-August. This was based on a professional valuation of £435,000, which also included the third car park adjacent to the sports ground. They were informed by the agents that the third car park had been taken out of the sale but we stood by our bid. In discussions with both the agents and Enterprise Inns, they were asked whether the bid could be increased to match one which was ‘significantly’ higher. It seems that Enterprise Inns will go with the higher offer. We do not know the identity of the other bidder but Enterprise have said it is someone who wants to reopen the pub and someone with a track record in the industry. Despite the fact that The Plough Community Campaign seems to have reached the end of the road, the campaigners would like to thank everyone who has supported them and those who pledged to invest in a community pub. Local people have shown great support for the Plough. This possibly persuaded other investors that it can be a viable pub and a great local. When the campaign began in June 2016, the original slogan was ‘Save the Plough’ and it looks like this has been achieved. If we had not successfully campaigned against Sainsbury’s application for the change of use, the pub would have been lost forever. The Plough Community Campaign would like to thank everyone for their support throughout a long and challenging campaign.

The Bath Hotel’s building has reached the grand old age of 150! So over this summer we have given it a bit of a spruce up with a new lick of paint while keeping all its heritage charm. This is all just in time for the national Cask Ale Week, happening from 21 September – 1 October. For this we have Moor Beer coming up from Bristol for a tap takeover to show off their range of tasty, unfined cask beer. We will be racking up 6 extra casks in the pub, meaning a total of 12 cask beers will be available in the Bath during the week! The Bath team are also heading up to Beer Ink Brewery in Huddersfield in a couple of weeks’ time especially to brew something new for Cask Ale Week, although discussions are still ongoing as to what this beer may be. To finish off the week, on Saturday 30 September we will also be hosting a Record Fair in conjunction with Broomhill’s Record Collector. This promises DJs, bands and the chance to buy vinyl from the largest independent record store in Sheffield! Chris Tremblett

The newly refurbished Albion finally opened its doors to the public on Friday 28 July. The pub is the brainchild of Stancill Breweries Owners Adam Haigh and Thomas Gill, alongside their business development manager and area manager Katy Streets. They wanted to create a bar that was all about the beer. Katy said: “Stancill Brewery has a great following in Sheffield and our two brewery taps, The Horse and Jockey on Wadsley Lane and The Norfolk Arms in Grenoside have been steadily growing in popularity over the last year. With our new venture we wanted to showcase our passion for amazing quality beer and offer a wide range of both guest cask and craft keg products alongside our most popular Stancill Brewery products.” With 14 rotating craft lines and 10 real ale taps, The Albion will offer an excellent selection of local, British and international brews. Katy added: “We are all incredibly passionate about beer and wanted to make this passion our main focus for this new venue. This is a dream project for me, as a longtime CAMRA supporter and a craft beer lover, I was thrilled to be offered the challenge of planning, designing and running The Albion.” The team already have plans for the future to extend their large beer garden and install a kitchen. Katy said: “We are so lucky to have a very enthusiastic team who all want to work towards a successful bar and we are all excited to keep moving the venue forward and ensure that our patrons have the best possible experience!” The Albion is open from 2pm til 12am every day (with longer opening hours at weekend) and will offer 50p off all casks for CAMRA members. Katy Streets

With the football season getting back into full swing, we take a trip around Sheffield to look at some of the real ale available around the grounds of each of the city’s clubs. Obviously there are too many pubs to list them all, so to avoid any possible accusations of favouritism we will be visiting the three closest hostelries to each ground that serve real ale according to our records (if you know differently, please let us know!). These places are not all necessarily frequented by football fans but can get very busy on matchdays, so if you want a quieter pint you may be better off visiting during the week.

Sheffield United – Bramall Lane

The closest of Sheffield’s clubs to the city centre, Bramall Lane has been in use as a sporting venue for more than 150 years. Its central location means there is a plethora of choices for discerning drinkers in the local area. Cricketers Arms: Situated directly opposite the the away fans’ turnstiles, the pub’s name references Bramall Lane’s history as a cricket ground, with cricket matches first being hosted there in 1855. The pub usually offers two real ales from local brewers such as Bradfield, Abbeydale and Stancill. Buses 18 and 252. Railway Hotel: Just 200 metres further down the road is the Railway Hotel, which has been run by Jack Cater since late 2015. Previously a “football pub” focused on lager, the change of ownership saw the introduction of real ale and cider, along with craft keg lines and a large bottle range. The Railway offers five real ales, many from local breweries, plus a real cider, and there is a very generous discount of 30p per pint available to CAMRA members. Buses 18 and 252. Sheaf House: Named after the football ground, Sheffield Wednesday’s home between 1877 and 1880, that was located on the site where the pub stands today, the Sheaf House of 2017 is a pub focused on games, with darts, pool and snooker all available. One real ale is on offer in the shape of Bradfield Farmer’s Blonde. Buses 18 and 252. Also within half a mile: Cremorne, Albion, Old Crown Inn, Clubhouse, Beer Engine, Sentinel Brewery, Royal Standard, Lord Nelson

Sheffield Wednesday – Hillsborough Stadium

Wednesday moved to their current location in 1899 having previously played in the Lowfield area of the city but being forced to find a new ground following the extension of the railways. Being a little further out, there aren’t quite as many pubs, but still plenty of choice for fans of real ale. Riverside Cafe: Just around the corner from Hillsborough Stadium, this is a modern, community-run cafe and pub offering four real ales from breweries such as Acorn, Bradfield and Great Heck alongside excellent food and an outdoor seating area overlooking, as its name suggests, the River Don. Buses 35, 38, 85, 97 and 98 or tram to Leppings Lane. Park: Another pub focused on food following its takeover by Sizzling Pubs in 2008, the Park is located about 250 metres from the football stadium, overlooking Hillsborough Park. One real ale is available, which at the time of CAMRA’s last visit was Wells’ Bombardier. Buses 35, 38, 85, 97 and 98 or tram to Leppings Lane. Old Crown: Very popular with Wednesday supporters on matchdays, the Old Crown can be found about 500m down Penistone Road from the stadium, near Owlerton greyhound track. The pub offers two changing real ales from guest breweries. Buses 7, 8 and 86. Also within half a mile: Railway, Castle Inn, Horse & Jockey

Hallam FC – Sandygate

Almost 250 metres above sea level on the western edge of Sheffield lies Sandygate, the home of Hallam FC since 1860, making it the oldest football ground in continuous use in the world. The plight of the Plough across the road from the stadium has been well documented, but real ale connoisseurs still have a number of options in the local area. Sportsman: A gastropub with a dedicated bar area, the Sportsman offers at least five real ales including Ember Inns’ own Pale Ale brewed by Black Sheep, plus rotating guests. Pub quizzes are hosted on Wednesdays and Sundays, while CAMRA members can also enjoy a discount of 20p per pint. Bus 51. Crosspool Tavern: Probably better known for its carvery than its real ale selection, the Crosspool Tavern nevertheless does offer cask beers, most recently Sharp’s Doom Bar and Black Sheep Best Bitter. A range of bottled beer is also available. Bus 51. Bull’s Head: A 10-minute walk down the hill in Ranmoor, the Bull’s Head is popular with real ale drinkers, offering regular beers from Abbeydale, Bradfield and Kelham Island breweries plus two changing guest beers. Entertainment includes live music on Saturday nights and a general knowledge quiz on Sundays. Bus 120. Also within half a mile: Ranmoor Inn, Florentine

Sheffield FC – Coach and Horses Ground

OK, so they might not play in Sheffield these days, but no article about the city’s football clubs would be complete without mentioning the oldest football club in the world still in existence. The club played at several grounds around Sheffield for almost 150 years before moving down the road to Dronfield in 2001. There are two pubs serving real ale within half a mile of the ground. Coach & Horses: This Thornbridge pub is located at the ground, so you can enjoy your pint while watching the football. One of the venues of the annual 3 Valleys Beer Festival, the pub offers five Thornbridge cask ales plus one guest cask, along with a range of keg and bottled beers. There is also a 20p per pint discount for CAMRA members. Victoria: This pub in Dronfield town centre was awarded Dronfield & District CAMRA’s “Most Improved Pub” award in 2013. There are up to six cask ales available, with all pints offered at a very reasonable £2.50 per pint on Mondays. Dominic Nelson

In an effort to reduce and eliminate single-use plastic things we no longer provide free drinking straws. Customers asking for drinking straws will now be asked to donate a minimum of 5 pence to charity. The first charity we are supporting through this initiative is Refuge, a domestic violence support group for women and children. So far, customer response has been wholly positive with most customers donating considerably more to the charity and not even accepting the plastic straw! Live music throughout September is: Saturday 2 September – Swear Box Saturday 9 September – Outside the Box Saturday 16 September – Bad Penny Saturday 23 September – Blaze Friday 29 September – Mahogany Newt Saturday 30 September – Band With No Name Pete Roberts

Stancill Brewery has confirmed the Albion will officially re-open its doors on Friday 28 July following an extensive refurbishment of the historic pub. Since receiving the keys to the building, which has been serving the people of Sheffield since the 1830s, Stancill has undertaken an extensive refurbishment of the interior, as well as overhauling The Albion’s large beer garden. Twenty new beer lines have been added to the bar which has ten hand pumps which will feature five Stancill ales as well as a changing selection of guest beers. Complementing the beer range, The Albion will stock a rotating selection of world beers. The refurbished bar pays homage to Sheffield’s industrial past in its styling and will feature artwork from local artists on the walls. CAMRA members can benefit from a 50p discount on all real ales sold within the bar as well as being able to take away your favourite beers to enjoy at home. The new venue will be managed by Stancill’s experienced pubs manager Katy Streets (pictured) and will offer a greater choice and variety of beers for the London Road area of the city. Thomas Gill, Managing Director of Stancill Brewery said: “The Albion is a pub which is something of a sleeping giant and when we were offered the chance to acquire it, we felt it would be a good fit with our future growth plans. We wanted to create a slightly different drinking environment from our existing pubs, reflecting its location whilst also offering something genuinely different to London Road and we look forward to giving a warm welcome to CAMRA members who can enjoy similar benefits to those found in our existing pubs.”