The Crow Inn (33 Scotland Street, S3 7BS) has been voted as Sheffield and District CAMRA Pub of the Month for July 2021: our first Pub of the Month for a considerable period.
Originally opened in 1797 by Sheffield brewer, Thomas Rawson, the C20th saw many changes. These resulted in closure in 2010: the building becoming The Sleep Hotel. Previous pub names included: The Crown Inn, The Old Crown Inn and R & B’s Uptown Bar.
Two years ago, on Thursday 6 June 2019, under the same management as the Rutland Arms, the Crow was reborn. The logo cleverly links the new to the old: a crow is pictured holding an ‘N’ in its mouth having stolen it from the Crown.
The beer range complements that of the Rutland: five handpumps (gluten-free, Abbeydale Heather (4.3%) is the only permanent resident) and fourteen keg lines, together with a large choice of spirits, including forty malt whiskies. The beer range is innovative, including hard-to-find limited edition beers and obscure imports. In addition, Kev’s Pies are available, and there are seven en-suite hotel rooms. This is all expertly managed by the multi-talented and personable team: Adam Griffiths, Adam Swithenbank, Charlotte Walker, Chris Bamford, Kate Major and Lizzie Dabner.
Apart from the opening-out of the room on the right, the basic layout of the interior is unchanged. The fittings are of varying ages, with some recent renovation and modern art-work. The bar appears early/mid C20th. The porch has internal leaded windows and an impressive ceramic floor which features an image of a crown. Unusually, the off-sales was approached via the entrance to the rear yard, purchasers entering through a small door. This entrance was removed in 1972.
Historically, the pub is mentioned as a key player in the 1840s Chartist protests, the Sheffield Outrages and the 1920s Sheffield Gang Wars. The outrages saw the 1859 murder of James Linley: ‘saw-grinder, was sitting at the Crown Inn, Scotland Street’ (Caledonian Mercury, 3rd August 1859).
Congratulations to all involved with the Crow on this award: recognition of a recent excellent addition to the ground-breaking and innovative pubs of Sheffield. Covid permitting, we originally planned to hold the award ceremony on the evening of Tuesday 13 July. However, due to Covid restrictions, this was changed to Tuesday 10th August 2021.
A very deserving award. Not just for the beer, but also for be a champion of inclusivity and diversity. Despite being in a fairly unprepossessing quarter of Sheffield it was attracting a good range of custom on my 2 visits since I moved here, the last time including a couple of young ladies working through the sours !