Celebrated Sheffield pub celebrates celebrated status with celebration

Or waaah

      Shakespeares Ale and Cider House on Gibraltar street, is the recipient of this years Sheffield CAMRA  Kelham Island Tavern of the year award, in an astonishing and wholly deserved triumph. As many of you may know from an earlier post here, there were plaudits and congratulations a plenty back when it was announced, but the affirmation of that status was officially celebrated on Tuesday, and I was there.

I arrived on a high and in celebratory mood myself, following having my boiler fixed and securing some important legal paperwork, and had therefore figured it was a no brainer to head out to Sheffield's best pub to rejoice. On arriving I bumped into T_I_B, AKA Tom,. from the world of the Internet. He was down for the same reason as myself and seemingly countless others, to congratulate the team. I had a pint of the Black Iris Wit, and he the Mallinsons Epicurion, an astringently bitter but well rounded pale ale with bags of citrus hops that I drank plenty of throughout the evening.

Various luminaries arrived; KE Page from the world of writing, Where's Andy C, Rich from Blue Bee, Alan Gibbons from the CAMRA, J.B, Dave U from the world of brewing, Malc, Ally and Rob, Andy T, Robin, William the owner, Martin, Nathan "Nate Rawg" Naterawg, Closed Shop Kate, Dan Abbeydale, Josh Kelham and Dave Williams. A throng of chattering aficionados and fans amassed whilst we talked, and I made several trips to the bar to buy more pints.

And more pints still. Many more Mallinsons followed for me, plus an excellent if heavy pint of the Hop Studio XS (alas I missed their Citra). Mercifully, given my unslakable thirst, Shakespeares had kindly laid on a vast spread in the school room. There were also free beer tokens , which was a generous and warmly appreciated touch. A speech and scrum followed, before orgiastic mastication began, and more Mallinsons was supped.

There was also the chance to network and chat to people about blogs (whatever they are, disappointingly just a list of pubs visited  that one may not like, and beers drunk it seems), which included some very interesting discussions. Predominantly though it was memorable as a vibrant coming together of people who appreciate the efforts of Chris, Robin, Keisha, Linda and the team, the determination of William and others, and the overall increasing excellence of Shakespeares.

As the hours went by another Mallinsons passed my lips, and finally I finished on a pint of refreshing Deception, a Shakespeares mainstay, to cleanse my palate and refresh me. Eventually, and before anyone could put a chair upside down on a table, I jumped in an ale tractor home and according to disparate and inconclusive strewn evidence, ate something.

Congratulations once again to the team at Shakespeares for their hospitality and hard work, and who knows, I may visit again some day.

Wee Beefy

*Shakes hand*

Hello,

     on Tuesday night, The CAMRA (you've seen the CAMRA), Sheffield corps, wrest free from a tradition of only awarding pub of the year to pubs in one square 50 meters of each other - and recklessly and without warning, only done gone did award it there to them nearby. Or something.

In short, the cabal was broken up. And a  new pub was to grab the accolade.

And so it was that a pub that never seemed it would reopen, struggling via pipe theft and sinking expectation prior to Tramlines 2011, opened, and then steadily grew in stature and within the affections of many Sheffield folk. So was born the Shakesperes Ale and Cider House  Far far too long a name for a blogger to reference frequently. Far too accurate a moniker for a purveyor of the best of all the above.

(Its probably worth glancing at my original post on the pub, to see if I gauged its revival right. There's easily too much mumping over a window, but maybe am not far off here....?)

Meanwhile I heard this news on the Internet, which is a person  and arranged to meet my friend Mr Marsh, from the world of the past. Once there, on the crest of a wave of celebration, I first had a pint of Mallinsons Anna Perenna, which was ace, followed by a pint of Sheffield's own Steel City brew Alestorm. The addition of a female touch made this otherwise admirably bitter hop fest of a beer a well rounded triumph,  and I was quick to recognise this. So much so that after Mr Marsh had left I joined Brewers Dave Unpro and Shazz and set about having rather a lot of pints to celebrate.

Not just that but Dave was having his 20,000th (tasted, ever) beer that night. And it was his. I don't go in for obsessive trying of new beers myself, but this seemed like a great example of it's merits, and I extend a hearty well done to Dave for his accomplishing such a feat.

Later, Unpro and Shazz were having a curry from across the road in the best pub ever, so I joined in and had a blob of snap myself. In between times, I had halves of Great Newsome Jem Stout, which was excellent, a pint of Welbeck Calypso, plus further halves of Mallinsons and Steel City, with the latter winning as I drank three of them.

We were joined by Mrs Aunty Colleen from the CAMRA, who also partook of some curry and ale, and as I spent ages finishing my curry, supping my beer and putting 50's tracks on the Jukebox, I was able to remind myself, as if I needed, why the Shakespeares was such a worthy winner. Great beer. Sensible prices. Great facilities. Fantastic Staff. I realise though, honestly, that I knew this forever ago Which is an actual period of time. And everything.....

A thoroughly well deserved award for a fine pub.

Wee Beefy