The result of voting for the Sheffield & District real ale pub of the year has been announced.

Here are the top 12:

12 Rutland Arms (Brown Street, City Centre)
11 Red Lion (Litton, Derbyshire)
10 Red Deer (City Centre)
09 Devonshire Cat (City Centre)
08 New Barracks Tavern (Penistone Rd, Hillsborough)
07 Bath Hotel (City Centre)
06 Sheaf View (Heeley)
05 Hillsborough Hotel bar
04 Fat Cat (Kelham Island)
03 Gardeners Rest (Neepsend)
02 Cask & Cutler (Shalesmoor)

AND THE WINNER IS.......

* KELHAM ISLAND TAVERN *

I haven't been to the Sheaf View for a while but it looks like they're building an extension?

It sure needs it in winter, but in summer if the build further it will lose much of the beer garden.

I only really go there in summer as I do like to sit down with my ale, not stand in the middle of the floor - but summer nights are great sat on the grass to the side of the beer garden with a pint of whatever the strongest, most lethal "you're-going-to-sooo-regret-drinking-me-in-the-morning" they have at the time :lol:

Both great pubs-my two favourites at present.
Well done to Trevor and Lewis at KI. They deserve RA pub of the year for all the hard work they put in since taking it on and for letting me start the Sunday night folk music tune sessions on the first/third Sundays. It's usually a great night, and we get some excellent musicians down there.
The new room just built at the back is non smoking-Hooray! The garden has shrunk a bit now though.
Will there still be enough room to dance outside? Never mind, we will just have to drink more of that lovely beer instaed.

I don't understand why the Devonshire Cat has never come higher in the table, never mind why it hasn't won it. Maybe it isn't crusty enough for CAMRA.:confused:

About 100 odd members returned voting papers, so I guess it reflects the cross section of people.

Devonshire Cat is a fantastic pub. However I'm guessing many who voted thought it had less character and atmosphere than some of the other pubs, and also noted the fact it is much more expensive.

There were 42 pubs that were eligible (to be included in the vote they have to be either in the Good Beer Guide or have won a Pub of the Month award) so 9th is a respectable showing.

Actually, taking stock of the pub scene in Sheffield, there is a fantastic cross section of pubs and bars now selling real cask ale. Whilst at one end of the spectrum you have brands such as Tetleys that have working class roots, and sell to the masses at lower prices in traditional local pubs, and the other end, in a market where people are getting choosier about what they eat and drink, some of the style bars such as HA HA and Muse have picked up on the fact that real ale is the QUALITY option, and started selling beers from smaller breweries such as Black Sheep and Abbeydale, rather than fobbing their non-lager drinking customers off with smoothflow Boddingtons, the beer equivalant of long life milk! There seems to be a similar mini revolution with lager, many bars are now offering quality Czech and German brands rather than your usual UK brewed Carling and Stella choice.

You may be interested in the list of pubs in the vote that didn't make it into the top 12. To be in the vote in the first place is something of course, as to be eligible they have to either have been awarded a pub of the month OR be in the Good Beer Guide.

Bankers Draft (City Centre)
Barrel (Bretton)
Bridge (Calver)
Carlton (Attercliffe)
Castle Inn (Bradway)
Cheshire Cheese (Hope)
Cobden View (Crookes)
Cocked Hat (Attercliffe)
Commercial (Chapeltown)
Fagans (City Centre)
Freedom House (Walkley)
Grouse (Longshaw)
Jolly Farmer (Dronfield)
Little John (Hathersage)
Monsal Head Hotel
Noahs Ark (Crookes)
Old Heavygate (Walkley)
Old Horns (Bradfield)
Plough (Crosspool)
Prince of Wales (Woodseats)
Ranmoor Inn
Red House (City Centre)
Royal (Dungworth)
Ship (Shalesmoor)
Star Inn (Tideswell)
Star & Garter (Netherthorpe)
Strines Inn
Walkley Cottage
Wharncliffe (Burncross)

Barrel (Bretton)

Thats a nice pub, lovely location with the view etc :D

Cheshire Cheese (Hope)

Would this not come under Castleton? Chris and I stayed in Castleton the other night and took a wander down to the Cheshire cheese for a couple and it was only round the corner... I'm sure its not in Hope...
Nice pub, all the same!

Originally posted by Tony
I don't understand why the Devonshire Cat has never come higher in the table, never mind why it hasn't won it. Maybe it isn't crusty enough for CAMRA.:confused:

I agree, its a great place. It even has great music on in the daytime!

Sigur Rós and Mull Historical Society last time i was in!

Would this not come under Castleton? Chris and I stayed in Castleton the other night and took a wander down to the Cheshire cheese for a couple and it was only round the corner... I'm sure its not in Hope...
Nice pub, all the same!

I think that's a different pub - strange there should be 2 with the same name a few miles apart though! The Cheshire Cheese in Hope is on the Hope to Edale road, about a 10 min walk from the village centre.

It seems pretty crusty to me, and totally soulless. And the owner is a complete moron

I've never found it to be crusty. Did you get thrown out or something?

Originally posted by Andy C
[snip]

AND THE WINNER IS.......

* KELHAM ISLAND TAVERN *

As someone who reads 'Beer Matters' and has heard of all the other pubs I find myself surprised I've not heard of this one!
A quick google says it has been shut for several years and recently reopened (though I didn't check the age of the web page).
Whereabouts is it? Is it that one just round the corner from the Fat Cat?

Nomme

Well looking at the top 5...

1 Kelham Island Tavern
2 Cask & Cutler (Shalesmoor)
3 Gardeners Rest (Neepsend)
4 Fat Cat (Kelham Island)
5 Hillsborough Hotel bar

... it seems like the 5 most samey pubs in Sheffield slugged it out for the title of...

"Sheffields most old fashioned smoky pub in a Victorian industrial red light district award where the only redeeming feature is the beer but theres still more hair on the patrons than the smelly dog on the furniture Award 2004"

CAMRA... Pah!

Originally posted by Tony
Well looking at the top 5...

1 Kelham Island Tavern
2 Cask & Cutler (Shalesmoor)
3 Gardeners Rest (Neepsend)
4 Fat Cat (Kelham Island)
5 Hillsborough Hotel bar

... it seems like the 5 most samey pubs in Sheffield slugged it out for the title of...

"Sheffields most old fashioned smoky pub in a Victorian industrial red light district award where the only redeeming feature is the beer but theres still more hair on the patrons than the smelly dog on the furniture Award 2004"

CAMRA... Pah!

You do actually find a number of students venture down to the Fat Cat....... And whilst it is on the fringes of the red light district, it is also an area where there are large new developments of fashionable city living apartments. Once these developments are complete, along with the new section of ring road, the area will be transformed - and as long as these pubs keep getting it right they are likely to reap the rewards.

Originally posted by nomme
As someone who reads 'Beer Matters' and has heard of all the other pubs I find myself surprised I've not heard of this one!
A quick google says it has been shut for several years and recently reopened (though I didn't check the age of the web page).
Whereabouts is it? Is it that one just round the corner from the Fat Cat?

Nomme

The article at www.sheffieldcamra.co.uk gives a brief history of the pub. The current owners basically bought a boarded up old pub, did it up and reopened it with a good range of beers. It is located on Russel Street, just round the corner from the Fat Cat.

Originally posted by higgins
It seems pretty crusty to me, and totally soulless. And the owner is a complete moron

I think that's a little harsh! You could hardly describe the Dev Cat as crusty, and I've never had any problems with owner or staff, although I have heard complaints that the door staff have been a little too keen at closing time, trying to sweep customers out before drinking up time.

I can understand the soulless comment, it being of a modern design, although now the pub has been established for a while there seems to be more atmosphere.

The staff have always been pretty friendly to me at the Dev Cat.

Originally posted by Tony
Well looking at the top 5...

1 Kelham Island Tavern
2 Cask & Cutler (Shalesmoor)
3 Gardeners Rest (Neepsend)
4 Fat Cat (Kelham Island)
5 Hillsborough Hotel bar

... it seems like the 5 most samey pubs in Sheffield slugged it out for the title of...

"Sheffields most old fashioned smoky pub in a Victorian industrial red light district award where the only redeeming feature is the beer but theres still more hair on the patrons than the smelly dog on the furniture Award 2004"

CAMRA... Pah!

Hmm...agree about the red light district thing...every time we get off the bus we have to dodge the lovely ladies of the night down the road to the Kelham (rather interesting beehive hairstyle being sported on Sunday night).

These pubs are not so smoky and grimy these days, especially the Kelham, Gardeners' and Hillsborough Hotel, which are very shiny and comfortable. Have to agree over the Fat Cat though. Couldn't comment on the Cask and Cutler. And I like the smelly dogs!

Well, I admit that the Fat Cat could probably do with redecorating, but given they have a non smoking lounge there is no reason to be in a smokey atmosphere if you don't want to be!

Kelham Island Tav would get my vote - very friendly staff, and superb beer - not to mention the range he has on tap!

The food's simple but good as well. They're just finishing an extension as well so more room to squeeze in on a friday lunch!

The beer garden is a real sun trap.