War of the Roses - The Broadfield (Sheffield) vs. The Continental (Preston)

Undeniably, two great pubs here, head-to-head. Many boxes are ticked and bases covered by a pair of jacks of all trades but which rose ought to triumph?

Sheffield is famed nationwide for its abundance of great pubs. All corners of the Steel City seem to have real ale in real pubs and the local breweries to back them up. Preston meanwhile has just a smattering of quality boozers and brewers are proverbial hen`s teeth.

Location

The New CONTINENTAL can be a little tricky to find, weaving your way through the terraces but the River Ribble and the lovely Avenham Park are close by. The Broadfield is on a busy main road good for bus routes but tricky for parking and with little to see nearby.

Conti 8 Broady 6

Garden

Both are pretty well blessed for urban establishments but Lancs looks the better bet here for a swift one in the sun (see below) with more space and open air.

Conti 8 Broady 5

 

Décor

Interiors impress in both bars. The snug in the Preston pub is a great place to kill an hour or two but The Broady has booths, barrels and a convenient bar dividing the eaters from the drinkers plus that great rail map on the ceiling!

Broady 9 Conti 7

 

Families

Two genuinely welcoming pubs for those with a family in tow, both offer some colouring to keep little hands out of mischief plus carefully conceived kids` menus. No microwaved nuggets here!

Broady 8 Conti 7

Entertainment

The Conti is a well-respected venue for music in particular but the Broady is stuck for space. That said, The Abbeydale Road Ale House does do special nights to taste whisky, specialist quizzes (Breaking Bad anyone?) and even had reindeer out the back recently!

Conti 9 Broady 6

Food

Strong menus using quality local produce albeit slightly more expensive in the Red Rose contender. Even veggies will find something special.

Conti – 8 Broady 7

Service

Yorkshire hospitality comes to the fore here. The Sheffield bar staff afford a warm welcome, offer knowledgeable beer advice (and tasters) whilst the food side is equally consumer considerate.

Broady 9 Conti 6

 

Drinks

Beer is really the bottom line but a bountiful back bar is boasted by both. Impressively, MARBle is the house beer at the Ribble contender (at just £2.60 too), Pictish is pretty much permanent too and there are some bottles. Both have half a dozen handpulls or more but the Broady also has some rare treats on keg aswell. True North as house beers are not the best but BLACK IRIS are a little better. However, The Broadfield has a growing reputation for offering some real gems although some would baulk at the prices. Recently, offerings have included Magic Rock, Summer Wine (SWB), plus some big ABVs on keg.

Broady 9 Conti 7

 

FINAL SCORE - BROADY 59  CONTI  60

A narrow win for the Red Rose this time but you could do worse than try them both and make your own mind up. And then revisit just to make sure your verdict is accurate! ;-)