Favourite Pubs: Ship and Mitre

Venturing away from our usual Sheffield haunts, a day trip to Liverpool brought us to The Ship and Mitre, an absolute gem of a pub.

An enormous bar set right in the centre of the pub has 12 hand pumps serving some fantastic real ale, plus continental brews. Alongside this there's also a separate bar which stocks bottles, which are reasonably priced. This is not to be confused with The Ship in the Bottle - a separate bottle shop which partners the pub, situated just a few minutes walk away and also well worth a visit.

The pub itself has two main sections, the bright and bustling front area, and a rear section which is cosy and warming with a raised section along the back wall which is a lovely place to eat some of the tasty food from the tiny kitchen. Traditionally decorated throughout and with an art deco style upstairs room available for bookings for parties, this pub has a great selection of options for all occasions.

Across two visits we have sampled some fantastic ales and definitely found some new favourites, including: Titanic Captain Smiths, Ascot Penguin Porter, and Blackmere Rum Porter, which tasted exactly like a drinkable dark chocolate rum truffle.

As well as this, there's a great range of spirits available, including monthly special offers.

The kitchen of the pub is rather quaintly named The Galley. The food had been recommended to us, so we couldn't resist giving it a go. The burger menu in particular was appealing, with a huge variety and some unusual combinations on offer. All the burgers are homemade and come with fries, salad, and some of the best onion rings I've ever eaten. As well as the usual combinations you'd expect to see on a burger menu, there's also some excellent standout burgers on offer, from a 100% beef Thai option, fragrantly spiced and topped with a Thai slaw, to a chicken Katsu curry version and plenty more besides.

We were also lucky enough to be there on "Free Scouse" night - our first taste of this delicious, hearty, Liverpudlian speciality - missed the Sheffield Henderson's Relish touch though!

It also just so happened to be the Belgian beer festival - we appear to have timed this trip well. De Koninck and Blanche Bruxelles were both available on draught, alongside an enormous selection of bottled beer. The Blanche Bruxelles, a soft and floral wheat beer, was a particular treat.

This truly is a pub that ticks every box - marvellous beer, great food, and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. There is a great sense of community from the pub and all-round it is simply a great place to just sit and drink. Worth the train fare from Sheffield any day!

Cheers,

J&L