Sheffield Pub News - April 2006

We have updated the design of Sheffield Pub Guide in oder to streamline the website and make it easier to find the pubs that you're looking for. The design is now similar to our sister site, Sheffield Restaurant Guide. We hope that our visitors find the new layout a lot cleaner than previously and we welcome your comments and feedback.

We have now added the Sitwell Arms Hotel in Renishaw (near Eckington) to our database.

Following the branch annual general meeting, Sheffield & District CAMRA have elected a new Chairman. Previous Chairman Myk Eccles will continue to head the team that organises our Beer Festivals. The new chairman is Dave Williams, who at just 20 years old is the branch's youngest ever. He is an I.T. student at Sheffield Hallam University, and also works behind the bar at the Kelham Island Tavern. He has also done a couple of stints as relief manager at the Rutland Arms in the city centre. Dave's highest profile duty in Sheffield CAMRA so far was to compere our Beer Awards night, when we presented the certificates to the breweries that won awards at Sheffield's Steel City Beer Festival. Electing a student chairman is good news at a time when students are getting more interested in trying the varied flavours of real ale and starting to organise their own beer festivals, such as the one at the University of Sheffield's Student Union this weekend. On hearing the news that he was elected, Dave set out a couple of goals he wanted to achieve - "I would like to see more students not just joining CAMRA but getting actively involved, and I would also like to see the branch campaigning much more effectively to stop the closures of good, traditional pubs".

For those that appreciate real beer and live music, Sheffield will be the place to be over the bank holiday weekend from Friday 28th April to Sunday 30th April. Final preparations are being made and details have been confirmed of the many venues taking part in the festivities. Philadelphia Blues festival will see a variety of real ale serving pubs & bars hosting live blues music throughout the weekend, and there will be a main event at the Burton Street project on the Saturday, from midday to 11pm, with various bands on stage throughout the day, and the Campaign for Real Ale providing a real ale bar at the venue offering a mini beer festival with a selection of around 20 beers. Sheffield Union Beer Festival is the same weekend, and is organised by the University of Sheffield's real ale society. This is being hosted in the Interval Bar's Beer Garden at the Student Union, and is open to all, not just students, and will feature a choice of around 30 beers, traditional Cider and entertainment. More details can be found at Philadelphia Blues & Beer Festival and Sheffield Beer Festival.

Members of the Sheffield & District branch of the Campaign for Real Ale have voted the New Barrack Tavern on Penistone Road, Hillsborough, as the winner of their April Pub of the month award. The pub of the month award is to highlight great local pubs that serve quality real ale in a friendly and comfortable environment. From CAMRA Sheffield's "Beer Matters" newsletter: With its splendid tiled Gilmour's frontage, the New Barrack Tavern is an impressive looking pub even before you cross the threshold. Reopened as a free-house in the mid 1990s, and briefly renamed the Hillsborough Barracks, it was acquired by Tynemill, the Nottingham based award winning pub company in 2002. On the left of the main entrance is a small taproom, and ahead is the main bar and adjacent lounge area, with a smaller no smoking room at the rear. Without altering the essentially traditional character of the pub, gradual improvements have been made over the last three years, with restoration of the tiled flooring next in line. Improvements to the secluded beer garden are also planned. On the bar there are 9 hand-pumps, with a tenth to be added shortly, serving Abbeydale Moonshine, Acorn Barnsley Bitter, and Autumn Pale from Tynemill's own Castle Rock Brewery, together with up to six ever-changing guest beers, including at least one other beer from Castle Rock. Guest beers are mostly from smaller independent breweries, and the pub operates Tynemill's "One over the Eight" reward scheme. The New Barrack Tavern also stocks a wide range of draught continental beers, as well as a large selection in bottle, and an impressive choice of malt whiskies. Managers are Kevin and Steph Woods, who took over in October 2004, Kevin having previously been assistant manager at Castle Rock's brewery tap, the Vat & Fiddle in Nottingham. A broader food menu has been introduced, catering for a wider range of tastes and pockets, with everything home cooked. The pub is open all day from 12 noon, and food is available lunchtimes and weekday evenings. Wednesday nights there is a popular quiz with a gallon of beer for the winner and a cash jackpot. Thursday is games night with the New Barrack Tavern competing at darts, crib and dominoes in the Hillsborough Friendly League. The pub is also noted for live music, particularly rock/blues alternate Fridays and every Saturday, with a jazz duo on the first and last Sunday of the month. Choice, reasonable prices and friendly, helpful staff have made the pub consistently popular and together with their team of enthusiastic staff, Kevin and Steph are worthy winners of the Pub of the Month award for April 2006. Join us for the presentation on Tuesday 4 April.

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