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The 900 members of the Sheffield & District branch of the Campaign for Real Ale were recently invited to vote for their favourite real ale pubs in Sheffield and North East Derbyshire, from a shortlist of pubs that are either listed in the Good Beer Guide or have won a Pub of the Month award in the last year.
Two winners are announced, a Sheffield Pub of the Year, which goes forward into the Yorkshire regional round of the national competition, and a District Pub of the Year which goes forward into the Derbyshire heat of the East Midlands regional round of the national competition.
This year has seen an encouraging number of new entries in the top twenty, including the Wig & Pen and Dove & Rainbow in Sheffield city centre and the Coach & Horses in Dronfield amongst others, and in all these cases it is recognition that the management and staff have put in a lot of hard work to make their pub amongst the best. It is also good to see such diverse styles of pubs and bars - there are real ale showcase pubs, traditional locals, smart city centre bars and gastropubs, cosy country inns and music based venues, all with one thing in common - quality real ale.
The Sheffield (and overall) winner is once again the Kelham Island Tavern. The Kelham has up to 10 real ales on the bar at a time - three regular beers, the rest constantly changing, there is often something you have never tried before. The pub has friendly staff, a relaxed atmosphere, is always perfectly turned out and has an award winning beer garden, quite an achievement given the location!
The District winner is the Grouse at Longshaw. The pub is a very pleasant country pub in a remote spot by Froggatt Edge run by a very charming couple who have been in charge for many years now. They know their regulars by name and treat them almost like one of the family, and new customers are also made very welcome. The beer range consists of up to four 'popular classics' such as Banks Bitter and Caledonian Deuchars IPA, always in good condition.
Sheffield & District CAMRA Pub of the Year 2008:
(1) Kelham Island Tavern
(2) Fat Cat
(3) Bath Hotel
(4) Commercial Inn
(5=) Hillsborough Hotel
(5=) Devonshire Cat
(7) Rising Sun Inn
(8) Sheaf View
(9) New Barrack Tavern
(10) Ranmoor Inn
(11) Wellington
(12) Grouse Longshaw
(13) Harlequin
(14) Wig & Pen
(15) Coach & Horses
(16) Dove & Rainbow
(17) Cobden View
(18) Red Lion
(19) Millstone
(20) Fagans