The Riverside on Mowbray Street now offers a 20% discount on hand pulled real ales for CAMRA members. Just show your membership card before ordering.
There is a new rooftop bar in Shalesmoor as part of the Krynkl development, a building next door to the Ship Inn constructed from shipping containers
The Hop at West One in Sheffield City Centre has closed down.
The Forum has reopened following a refurbishment and the smaller bar, which was previously only regularly used for private functions, has become the ‘Slice Bar’, open from 4pm each day featuring a hot counter selling slices of pizza as well as beer, gin etc. Both the main bar and the Slice Bar has a handpump serving a special house beer brewed by True North Brewery, who own the venue.
The Washington has also now reopened following a refurbishment, as has Stone & Taps, which is offering a discount for CAMRA members.
A change of management at the Rutland Arms is expected very soon with the lease moving from Reet Ale Pubs to business partners Kate Major and Chris Bamford, who previously managed the Three Tuns and Shakespeare’s respectively. The Rutland already has a reputation established for good food, beer and pub atmosphere and we’re sure Kate and Chris will build on that.
The Old Crown has already left the Reet Ale Pubs stable, leaving the Punchbowl, Three Tuns and Closed Shop, the latter which recently celebrated its fourth birthday under its current management.
Drone Valley Brewery have brewed a special beer for the Friends of Dronfield Station which is appropriately a Porter. A launch event took place with the friends suitably adorned in railway Hi Vis jackets at the Three Tuns pub in Dronfield.
Hop Hideout now offers a 10% discount for card carrying CAMRA members Tuesday to Thursday and has established a tasting room as well as being an off licence so is effectively a micropub. The 5 beers on tap are normally real ale in a keykeg.
The Walkley Beer Company has extended their opening hours and is now open Wednesday and Thursday 4pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday 2pm to 10pm and Sunday midday to 6pm.
Champs Sports Bar on Ecclesall Road was runner up in Sheffield’s Best Bar None awards recently held at the City Hall.
The first details of the 2017 Tramlines music festival in Sheffield have been announced including the headline acts playing the three main outdoor stages at Ponderosa Park, Devonshire Green and Endcliffe Park from 21st to 23rd July. Paid for wristbands are required to enter these venues, however there will be the usual supporting cast of pubs and clubs putting on live music with most offering free entry and many of which of course have good beer. The latest information can be found at www.tramlines.org.uk, tickets are already on sale.
Since the last issue of Beer Matters, there have been a number of local developments:
Before Christmas, a letter was sent to Sheffield City Council (SCC) from Paul Ainsworth, the Chair of the National CAMRA Pub Campaigns Group expressing disquiet regarding their procedures and practices. An immediate response form SCC was the offer of a meeting in order to discuss this, and related, issues. A date was agreed, then, at short notice, cancelled by SCC. An alternative date has now been agreed. We will meet with Ccl.Jack Scott.
the Cherry Tree – SCC refused the ACV application. We understand that the Carterknowle and Millhouses Community Group will resubmit. SCC planning committee have not yet met in order to discuss a planning application, from the Co-op, to demolish the building and replace it by a shop.
before Christmas, Sheffield CAMRA submitted an ACV application for The University Arms. We have since received a nine-page letter from Pinsent Mason (an international law company employed by the pub owners, the University of Sheffield). We submitted a detailed response rebutting the assertions made in this letter. A decision from SCC was due by 17th.February.
Carbrook Hall – we understand that (subject to contract), Punch Taverns have sold this pub to a locally based Leisure Company. Sheaf Valley Heritage Group have submitted a detailed ACV application. The heritage aspects of Carbrook Hall were described, in detail in the November 2016 edition of Beer Matters. They are also available online on the CAMRA Pub Heritage website: heritagepubs.org.uk
Dave Pickersgill, Pub Heritage Officer
Dave Pickersgill, Pub Heritage Officer
The White Lion celebrated two years of ownership of Jon and Mandy on
February 23rd and goes from strength to strength.
Having won multiple awards last year, their policy of swapping all the beers for new
varieties after just one barrel is a great reason to visit.
They’ll be joining in with Sheffield Beer Week with a mini festival over the
weekend, including live music and a Meet The Brewer event with Edd Entwhistle of Hopjacker and potentially another mystery brewer will be making an appearance.
The festival will include beers from across the length of the country but will also feature a 4 way collaborative brew from Little Critters, Hopjacker, Hop Hideout and The White Lion itself.
I’ve lived in Woodseats for nearly 30 years and it’s always seemed to fall a bit short when it comes to decent cask beers. Then the Chantry, the Big Tree and the Abbey started to up their game when the Weatherspoon’s Woodseats Palace opened some years ago. However price and quality have always seemed to be lacking consistency. But then something really interesting started to happen down the bottom of Fraser Road in 2011.
The Alehouse opened. Previously known as the Sheaf, it had suffered years of closures and reopening’s throughout the late Nineties and Noughties. A pub with a fascinating history, once a vibrant watering hole serving the workforce of the Laycock’s Engineering Company and many of the other industries that once thrived in the area
It had clearly lost its way until a new enterprising owner relaunched the pub in 2011 as the Alehouse committed to great quality ales.
Since April 2016 the pub has been managed by Sue, a retired social worker ably assisted by her team of friendly local staff and volunteers. The pub goes from strength to strength continuing the philosophy of providing great ales from around the region and beyond. Regulars appearing, include the Saltaire range, Mallinsons, Dancing Duck, Dark Star, Titanic, Whitby Beers, Salamander and Great Heck starting at £2.60 a pint. Remarkable pricing!
The Dark Star range once tasted will forever live in the memory. Sue provides a text and email alert service for customer favourites and is open to suggestions for new beers. Recently I had an alert received whilst in Abu Dhabi for Dark Star American Pale Ale. Couldn’t quite make it back for that one!
The pub retains its old charm and consists of a large Bar Saloon with original long bar and furnishings and a very comfortable large lounge which is available for private bookings, birthdays weddings and wakes! It’s on the doorstep to Hutcliffe Wood Crematorium. The pub has a real community feel and offers a warm welcome to all.
Sue is keen to maximise the use of the Lounge. There are planned events including live bands, folk nights, and a community market 4 x year with donations going to local charities. The lounge is available to young families late afternoons at weekends with its own toy corner. It’s also available for private hire. There is a monthly book club, and a general knowledge and bingo quiz night on a Thursdays. Other planned events include Brewery tastings and Gin nights and even Ukulele Workshops. You can check out on what’s coming up by following the Facebook page.
Due to start soon is a coffee and music morning the first Saturday in every month
There is outdoor seating ideal for snatching an early sneaky one after work on a summers evening.
Sue provides hot home cooked food on Fridays using the best local ingredients. This is very popular 6.00 – 8.30
It’s now on the 86 and 96 bus routes so you can get off on Archer Road at the Laycock’s Social Club and amble along Fraser Road to the BOTTOM of the hill 5 mins from the stop. The Alehouse is a must for anyone looking for a great pint with friendly staff and customers. It’s located in that real ale desert almost a no-man’s land between the Broadfield and Woodseats. A great stop off to be included in any real ale pub crawls in the area. It is so inspiring to see a local pub make such a determined come back from what would have been eventual closure and demolition.
Here’s to the many Alehouses out there!
Note the Alehouse is open Tuesday to Friday 4.00-11.00; Saturday 3.00-11.00pm and Sunday 3.00 -10 00 pm – Food on Fridays
Dick Williams
The Sheffield Beer House on Ecclesall Road was the City’s first full time micropub and was popular from the word go, offering real ale and other quality drinks, friendly service and a proper pub environment on a compact scale.
In December the Beer House celebrated its second birthday with a low key celebration evening with both owners present and offering a complimentary pint of Hopjacker Beer House Pale to all customers when they arrived.
They are clearly getting it right and we wish the Beer House ongoing success!
The Fat Cat is a little-altered and typically detailed example of a mid-C19th. pub and former hotel in, what was, an industrial quarter close to central Sheffield. It has an excellent original layout: two downstairs rooms, a small central bar, mosaic in the doorway and a terrazzo floor passageway.
Opened in 1850 and originally known as ‘The Kelham Tavern,’ the pub was renamed ‘The Alma,’ in 1856, after the Battle of the Alma River (SW Crimea) in 1854. It was taken over by Sheffield brewer, William Stones in 1912. A small entrance lobby with mosaic floor bearing the legend “CANNON ALES” leads into a corridor with terrazzo floor leading to a rooms on the left and a doorway to the servery on right. The entrance lobby also leads to a room on the right.
The bar was up-graded in 1981 from a formica-topped surface. The three-sided servery has a canopy including coloured glass over, and a clock under, a rounded pediment. The latter is believed to be a payment settling kiosk obtained from a Co-op butchers in Rotherham.
The left hand-room has bench seating on most of the walls. The Victorian style fireplace with tiled base was installed in 1981. The right-hand room has a Victorian green tiled, cast iron and wood surround fireplace at the rear and has bench seating on the outside walls.
A 1914 plan (James R.Wigfull for Messr’s.Wm.Stones Ltd.) shows a pub layout which is similar to the current layout with three exceptions. 1914 has two entrances to the building: the current position and a second corner entrance. The current corner room is split into two rooms: a ‘public bar’ which is only accessible from the corner entrance and a ‘Smoke Room’ which is accessible from the central corridor. The bar has a rounded corner in the Public Bar. In addition, ‘Cottages’ are indicated at the rear of the pub. 1914 has these changing into ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals.’ There is also an upstairs ‘Club Room’ in the same position as to-days upstairs room.
Plans approved in 1941 (Wigfull, Inott and Ridgeway, Sheffield) indicate that, with the removal of an internal wall, the corner ‘Public Bar’ has extended into the ‘Smoke Room’ and that the bar is squared off into the current layout. The corner entrance has also been removed.
The pub became the Fat Cat on 29th.July 1981 when the building was bought, at auction, for £33,750 by Solicitor, Bruce Bentley and his business partner, Sheffield Polytechnic Economics Lecturer, Dave Wickett (1947-2012), becoming one of the first ‘Real Ale Freehouses’ in the UK. In 1989, Dave bought out the share owned by Bruce. Opening day (21st.August) saw queues down the street and the debut behind the bar of Diane Johnston. Diane has worked at the pub since and is currently Assistant Manager.
A 1982 plan shows that the ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals’ have changed into an extended ‘Gents,’ and a new ‘Ladies W.C.’ and ‘Stores.’ The ‘Tap Room’ is now named ‘No-smoking room,’ the first such facility to be available in Sheffield – this fact was mentioned in the House of Commons by Bassetlaw MP Joe Ashton and therefore recorded in Hansard. In addition, the ‘Club Room’ is now ‘Function Room.’ In the 1980’s, an internal door in the right-hand room which led directly to the urinals was removed; customers were thus compelled to visit, via the corridor. This door had been installed at some point post-WW2.
The Fat Cat has recently achieved SRI (‘Some Regional Importance’)on the CAMRA registry of Pub Interiors. There is a possibility of RI (‘Regional Inventory’). Hence, we would be interested in internal photos from earlier than 1981. If you have any, please contact myself: dpickersgill1@googlemail.com
Dave Pickersgill
The Portland House, Welbeck Abbey Brewery’s micropub on Ecclesall Road, now offers a discount to CAMRA members of 10% off a pint of real ale if you show your membership card when you order.
Following the sad news of the passing away of Stuart Burrows, the landlord of the Mount Pleasant on Derbyshire Lane, the tenancy is being taken over from 31st January by Gillian Nugent who has worked with Stuart both behind the bar and looking after the cellar for the last 8 years. No major changes are planned, however the pub will be closed for a short spell for the decorators to come in and give the place a little TLC.
JD Wetherspoons hold one of their regular real ale festivals across the chain of pubs from 22nd March to 2nd April. Their pubs in Sheffield include the Bankers Draft, Waterworks and Benjamin Huntsman in the City Centre, Sheaf Island on Ecclesall Road, Woodseats Palace at Woodseats, Rawson Spring at Hillsborough, Wagon & Horses at Chapeltown, Steel Foundry at the Meadowhall Oasis and Francis Newton by the Hallamshire Hospital.
Another new micropub has opened, this time in the City Centre next to Ponds Forge Sports Centre and Fitzalan Square tram stop. The Drink Inn opens at midday every day and has a choice of three real ales along with a choice of spirits and bottled craft beers. Their opening hours don’t seem finalised yet, check their Facebook page for the latest.
The Swim Inn on Glossop Road, a former Wetherspoons pub, closed for refurbishment in January and is to reopen as part of the ‘Stone & Tap’ chain offering beer, burgers and pizza.
The Washington on Fitwilliam Street in Sheffield City Centre is due to close for refurbishment on 22nd January, reopening with a ‘rebirth weekend’ celebration on 2nd and 3rd February, featuring a number of DJ sets including an appearance from Jarvis Cocker on the Saturday. The refurbishment will see the interior get something of a spruce up along with a new stage and dance floor area along with an upgrade to the outdoor drinking space. There will also be an extended range of products on the bar. See their Facebook page for more details.
Sentinel Brewery & bar has been running a Tryanuary promotion during January with a different beer discounted by 20% each day.
The Malt House on Monteney Crescent near Ecclesfield has reopened as a freehouse. The pub was previously known as the Fighting Cock and we are told the locals still know it as that, however in a little bit of humour about the north Sheffield accent reflecting that the landlady isn’t local, the pub has been renamed ‘The Feightin Cock Less‘. There are six handpumps on the bar, all the beers are reasonably priced and mostly from local breweries.
Another new opening in Dronfield, hot on the heels of the relaunch of the Blue Stoops by True North Brewery is the opening of Smiffy’s Craft Ale & Wine bar, in the premises previously occupied by a cafe next to the Dronfield Arms and opposite the White Swan on Chesterfield Road. 4 real ales feature on the bar.
The Norton at Meadowhead has had a refurbishment and is part of Mitchell & Butlers’ Sizzling Pub Company chain.
The White Lion at Heeley has been featuring Hopjacker Brewery as a guest including some collaborative brews.
The Beer Engine on Cemetery Road has extended its opening hours, opening at midday every day. The Tapas style food is now served Monday to Thursday 12-3 and 5-9pm, Friday and Saturday 12-8pm. At the time of writing Mondays continued to feature a two-for-one promotion on food. On Sundays the food offer changes with a choice of roast dinners (a meat option, a veggie option and a vegan option) served from 12-5pm. The bar is open until midnight Friday and Saturday, 11pm the rest of the week.
The Wagon and Horses at Millhouses Park has been taken over by True North Brewery, who are reopening the pub in February. It is expected to be run along similar lines to the Broadfield, British Oak, York and Blue Stoops with a dining room and separate bar. The changes should see better quality food and a more interesting beer range than previously.
The BBQ Collective has now left the Hop bar in Sheffield Centre which at the time of writing was no longer doing food. Real ale and a programme of live music continues to feature.
The former Hearty Oak pub at Dronfield Woodhouse has another revised planning application for demolishing the pub and building houses on the site with six dwellings proposed.
The George and Dragon in Holmesfield is under new ownership and still open as a pub unchanged, meanwhile the rear car park has been auctioned off with a view of house building on it.
Hagglers Corner coffee shop & bar on Queens Roas at Heeley has a number of special evening events planned including live music gigs in addition to their normal daytime opening with real ale sometimes available. See www.hagglerscorner.co.uk.
Organisers of the Three Valleys Festival, which takes place in the Dronfield area on Saturday 3rd June, have announced the first few confirmed venue out of an expected 15. These are the Barrack at Apperknowle, the Green Dragon in Dronfield, Hill Top Sports & Social Club, Hyde Park Inn at Hill Top, the Manor House Hotel in Dronfield, the Miners Arms at Hundall, the Jolly Farmer in Dronfield Woodhouse and the Pioneer Club in Dronfield.
The Old Crown on London Road is now Cask Mark accredited and are also now able to source beer from local breweries as well as the main Punch Taverns list, this has seen Blue Bee make their first appearance on the bar!
Heinekin, whose pub operating division Star Pubs UK own a number of leased out venues in our area such as the Church House in Sheffield Centre and the Old Hall Hotel in Hope, are in the process of buying Punch Taverns, who own 3,500 pubs across the UK including a significant number in our area. Heinekin are proposing that under their ownership, Punch pubs must have at least 85% of their beer range from Heinekin, who own Caledonian brewery (of Deuchars IPA fame). This will reduce beer choice in Punch pubs somewhat and potentially damage the business of the licencees that lease those pubs.
The Nags Head at Loxley continues to run pie day on Fridays with a choice of home made pies served with chips and peas along with a pint of Bradfield Farmers Ale included in the price – £5.75 for a small portion or £7.75 for a large portion.
Sheffield & District CAMRA members at the Three Stags Heads, Wardlow Mires.
On Saturday 12th November a minibus full of local CAMRA members visited a number of Peak District pubs in our branch area. The final destination was our District Pub of the Season award winner, the Three Stags Heads at Wardlow Mires, before then we stopped off at the Anglers Rest community pub in Bamford; the Queen Anne at Great Hucklow; the Barrel at Bretton (which included a fantastic view!) and the Miners Arms in Eyam.
The Barrel at Bretton
The Blue Stoops on Dronfield High Street has now reopened following extensive refurbishment and renovation of this historical building by True North Brewery.
The bar has four handpumps serving real ales from True North and guests along with various keg beers and ciders, a wide selection of gins and other spirits.
Food is served all day in the restaurant area and is family friendly until 8pm with the cooking described as ‘Classic British with a modern twist’. There is also a function room and beer garden.
The pub is open 11:30am to midnight Sunday-Thursday and until 1:30am on Friday and Saturday nights.
Special events are planned to take place from time to time with the first being a Christmas market on 3rd December.
We’re proud to announce that the Gardeners Rest Community Society has reached its lower funding target of £100,000 in its effort to take the Gardeners Rest in Neepsend into community ownership following the retirement of Pat and Eddy, the current owners and managers.
We are now in a good position to negotiate grants and loans sufficient to make a competitive bid to buy and preserve the pub for its community of supporters. To this end, we’ve announced our first stretch target – £50,000, which will enable us to put together a truly competitive offer to the current landlords.
With just under three weeks left to go on our Crowdfunder campaign, we are optimistic that we can reach and even exceed this goal!
Chris OlewiczInterim Director of the Gardeners Rest Community Society Ltd
Dave Pickersgill, Pub Heritage Officer 
The Dark Star range once tasted will forever live in the memory. Sue provides a text and email alert service for customer favourites and is open to suggestions for new beers. Recently I had an alert received whilst in Abu Dhabi for Dark Star American Pale Ale. Couldn’t quite make it back for that one!
The pub retains its old charm and consists of a large Bar Saloon with original long bar and furnishings and a very comfortable large lounge which is available for private bookings, birthdays weddings and wakes! It’s on the doorstep to Hutcliffe Wood Crematorium. The pub has a real community feel and offers a warm welcome to all.
Sue is keen to maximise the use of the Lounge. There are planned events including live bands, folk nights, and a community market 4 x year with donations going to local charities. The lounge is available to young families late afternoons at weekends with its own toy corner. It’s also available for private hire. There is a monthly book club, and a general knowledge and bingo quiz night on a Thursdays. Other planned events include Brewery tastings and Gin nights and even Ukulele Workshops. You can check out on what’s coming up by following the Facebook page.
Due to start soon is a coffee and music morning the first Saturday in every month
There is outdoor seating ideal for snatching an early sneaky one after work on a summers evening.
Sue provides hot home cooked food on Fridays using the best local ingredients. This is very popular 6.00 – 8.30
It’s now on the 86 and 96 bus routes so you can get off on Archer Road at the Laycock’s Social Club and amble along Fraser Road to the BOTTOM of the hill 5 mins from the stop. The Alehouse is a must for anyone looking for a great pint with friendly staff and customers. It’s located in that real ale desert almost a no-man’s land between the Broadfield and Woodseats. A great stop off to be included in any real ale pub crawls in the area. It is so inspiring to see a local pub make such a determined come back from what would have been eventual closure and demolition.
Here’s to the many Alehouses out there!
Note the Alehouse is open Tuesday to Friday 4.00-11.00; Saturday 3.00-11.00pm and Sunday 3.00 -10 00 pm – Food on Fridays
Dick Williams 
A 1914 plan (James R.Wigfull for Messr’s.Wm.Stones Ltd.) shows a pub layout which is similar to the current layout with three exceptions. 1914 has two entrances to the building: the current position and a second corner entrance. The current corner room is split into two rooms: a ‘public bar’ which is only accessible from the corner entrance and a ‘Smoke Room’ which is accessible from the central corridor. The bar has a rounded corner in the Public Bar. In addition, ‘Cottages’ are indicated at the rear of the pub. 1914 has these changing into ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals.’ There is also an upstairs ‘Club Room’ in the same position as to-days upstairs room.
Plans approved in 1941 (Wigfull, Inott and Ridgeway, Sheffield) indicate that, with the removal of an internal wall, the corner ‘Public Bar’ has extended into the ‘Smoke Room’ and that the bar is squared off into the current layout. The corner entrance has also been removed.
The pub became the Fat Cat on 29th.July 1981 when the building was bought, at auction, for £33,750 by Solicitor, Bruce Bentley and his business partner, Sheffield Polytechnic Economics Lecturer, Dave Wickett (1947-2012), becoming one of the first ‘Real Ale Freehouses’ in the UK. In 1989, Dave bought out the share owned by Bruce. Opening day (21st.August) saw queues down the street and the debut behind the bar of Diane Johnston. Diane has worked at the pub since and is currently Assistant Manager.
A 1982 plan shows that the ‘Scullery,’ ‘Pantry’ and ‘Coals’ have changed into an extended ‘Gents,’ and a new ‘Ladies W.C.’ and ‘Stores.’ The ‘Tap Room’ is now named ‘No-smoking room,’ the first such facility to be available in Sheffield – this fact was mentioned in the House of Commons by Bassetlaw MP Joe Ashton and therefore recorded in Hansard. In addition, the ‘Club Room’ is now ‘Function Room.’ In the 1980’s, an internal door in the right-hand room which led directly to the urinals was removed; customers were thus compelled to visit, via the corridor. This door had been installed at some point post-WW2.
The Fat Cat has recently achieved SRI (‘Some Regional Importance’)on the CAMRA registry of Pub Interiors. There is a possibility of RI (‘Regional Inventory’). Hence, we would be interested in internal photos from earlier than 1981. If you have any, please contact myself: dpickersgill1@googlemail.com
Dave Pickersgill 
