June - Shady Oak
Shady Oak
Redford Drive, Bramhall SK7 3PG
Our Pub of the Month for June 2022 is the Shady Oak in Bramhall. Lawrence Devaney has been along to have a look.
The Shady Oak was built by Barrie Sullivan and opened in April 1985 as an independent free house offering beers from Thwaites, Timothy Taylor's, Marston's, Theakstons and Ruddles. Early in 1986 Barrie sold the pub to Tetley and since then it has had several incarnations, in the hands of a variety of owners.
Sharon and Gareth took over in July 2021, which was not the ideal time to be dragging a pub back up from obscurity. It has however been transformed, with a completely renovated dining area, updated kitchens and an outside space, which includes a play area for smaller children. There's plenty of space inside for larger visitors to play, with a selection of beers to rival most pubs, including five hand-pumped cask ales.
Understandably, as the Shady is in the centre of the New Farm residential area, Sharon and Gareth are focussing on attracting locals as their main target customers. The pub enthusiastically welcomes walkers, is dog-friendly and is conveniently situated alongside the Fred Perry Way, a popular walking trail. Several events have been organised, with the Halloween bash proving to be popular with young and old alike. The Sunday Quiz night is another successful activity at the Shady.
Sharon is the driving force behind the growing popularity of the pub's food, especially the Sunday carvery, with Gareth maintaining the quality of the beers on offer. The cask beers being dispensed reflect the pub's ties to Marston's, with Gareth ensuring that he always has a dark beer and a guest beer available. When Opening Times visited to give the pub the news about their success as Pub of the Month, the guest ale was Timothy Taylor's Landlord.
We will be presenting Sharon and Gareth with their award on the evening of Thursday 30 June. We hope that our readers, together with the Shady's regulars, will come along to celebrate and to recognise their hard work.
The 374 bus will drop you off on Ringmore Road, close to Redford Drive. The 378A runs later in the evening and will pick you up on Bramhall Lane South, about a 12 minute walk from the pub.