Category: Inn Brief

The Railway at Wadsley Bridge is to have a wood fired pizza ovens and music on 7 inch vinyls for New Years Eve.

The Rutland Arms is hosting their annual Christmas lights switch on party along with a “Funky Fluids” tap takeover on Thursday 8 December.

Walkley Beer Company are celebrating their 8th birthday on Saturday 3 December with some banging beers on tap and a bit of a buffet!

Crow Inn are hosting a Turning Point tap takeover on Friday 2 December. On cask will be three different imperial stouts while the keg taps will see four beers, a mixture of IPAs and sours.

The Railway Hotel at Wadsley Bridge has been running a “Cask Wednesday” promotion with 50p off the cask ales on that day of the week, except for Sheffield Wednesday match days.

The Old Hall Hotel in Hope have announced their beer festival dates for 2023. As usual all the bank holiday weekends from Easter through to late summer have an event, they’ve also crowbarred an extra event in for the King’s Coronation weekend. See our festival listings for all the dates.

The Tunnel Tap at Totley Rise has finally opened. No cask ale is available here but there are some quite acceptable craft beer choices on keg, usually including options from Abbeydale and Buxton. This micropub is on two floors with a bar on each and seating downstairs. They also have bottles, cans and minikegs available to take away.

Shakespeares Ale & Cider House at West Bar is planning one of their regular beer festivals for January, as usual featuring some interesting, experimental and silly one off special cask beers on gravity upstairs as well as a full range on the main bar. Keep an eye on their social media for details.

The Bar Stewards at West Bar has had a change of name and is now known as West Bar Tap. There have been some changes to the business behind the scenes but otherwise its the same place and people, other than a minor refit to part of the venue that has added some extra tables where the self service fridges were.

The Social bar on Snig Hill has closed down, unfortunately although it was a great little bar everyone enjoyed it didn’t prove financially successful. The associated brewery based in Attercliffe, BrewSocial, continues to produce beer and will keep going as long as it sells! Pictured is Juliet who managed the bar with a pump clip from every BrewSocial beer so far.

The Friendship Hotel in Stocksbridge recently opened their nine new contemporary first floor en suite letting rooms. This is a welcome addition to Stocksbridge and another contribution to its’ growing reputation as the centre of one of the best walking areas in the North of England.

Under new management, the Olde Mustard Pot (Midhopestones) reopened in mid-November. David and Nicola Briggs and Jonathan Wright, licensees of the Three Merry Lads (Lodge Moor) have added the pub to their portfolio. A change of beers and a new menu are in place. The pub opens daily from 11:30, food is available until 20:00. 

The Pioneer Club in Dronfield has resumed their Sunday carvery.

A new sports bar in Hillsborough’s Barracks complex called Monkey Bar Club is opening. Food is provided by Smokin’ Bull, serving burgers etc.

The Alehouse micropub in Chesterfield recently celebrated their 9th birthday with a special line up of beer!

Fans of the Antics improvised comedy troupe will be pleased to know that another free show (tips welcome!) is planned at the Dorothy Pax bar for 17 November.

The Dog & Partridge is now free of tie and as well as the beer range starting to evolve there are now cask ale drinkers loyalty cards available – buy 9 pints and get one free.

The Blue Stoops in Dronfield closed temporarily in October, it has been sold by True North Brewery to the Chilled Out Pub Company.

The Tunnel Tap in Totley is expected to open on 21 October at 6pm with craft beer available on keg.

Another successful Gillyfest at the Sportsman Inn, Lodgemoor. It was a day live music and fun for all the family and raised £2,271.52 for St Luke’s Hospice.

Also at Lodgemoor there is a new landlady at the Shiny Sheff. Donna Davis is now running the pub which has wonderful views across Rivelin Valley towards Stannington. Sunday is games night, general knowledge quiz on Tuesday with karaoke on Thursday. Marston’s 61 Deep is the regular beer with other Marston’s beer rotating including Pedigree and Hobgoblin Gold.

The last day of trading as a Thornbridge/Brewkitchen venue for the Eagle and Graze Inn on Ecclesall Road was Saturday 3 September.

theSocial bar on Snig Hill introduced food from 12 September. A range of sandwiches, salads, savouries and cakes are on sale weekdays until 3pm. Food to go is available from 9am with the bar open from midday until 9pm.

The Green Room bar on Devonshire Street in Sheffield City Centre has had a bit of a refurbishment and general overhaul, relaunching on 15 September. We are told to expect a new line up of beers (including cask), pool table, beer pong, a “barcade” and of course, music.

Perch on Garden Street, the Dead Parrot Brewery tap, is hosting a northern soul all day music festival in the back yard on Saturday 8 October from 3pm until late. Tickets are required, £10 in advance or £15 on the door.

19 September saw Shakespeares on Gibraltar Street launch a new weekly open mic music night in the upstairs “Bards Bar” room. It takes place every Monday from 8pm, more details on the pub’s Facebook page.

The Peacock Inn in Stannington is offering CAMRA members 20p off a pint of cask ale.

The Boston Arms at Woodseats and Clubhouse on London Road both at the time of writing continue to offer pints of real ale at a bargain price on Mondays – check their social media for details. Talking of the Boston Arms, food is now available with Pellizco resident upstairs serving tacos and more. Table bookings available.

The JD Wetherspoons chain hold their regular real ale festival from 12-23 October. Branches in Sheffield include the Rawson Spring in Hillsborough, Bankers Draft, Sheffield Water Works Company and Benjamin Huntsman in the City Centre, Sheaf Island on Ecclesall Road, Woodseats Palace in Woodseats, Francis Newton in Broomhall, Wagon & Horses in Chapeltown, Steel Foundry in Meadowhall and Scarsdale Hundred at Beighton.

The Gardeners Rest is holding a mini beer festival from 30 September to 2 October featuring beer from the old 3 Ridings of Yorkshire.

The Bull’s Head in Ranmoor is under the new management of Sam Hall who is running the pub with an outlook of “simple things done well”. Sam is aiming to welcome locals to a friendly community pub. He usually has a traditional bitter and a lighter beer from regional brewers and local ones including Abbeydale and Bradfield. There is live music most Friday nights and the pub boasts a south facing terrace and beer garden.

After a good few years of whispers and ideas, The Bar Stewards, The Crow Inn, and Shakespeares Ale & Cider House have decided it’s about time to shout about the area of which they stand as (sort of…) the three corners and have formed “The West Bar Triangle“. The three pubs will be launching what they hope will be an exciting initiative that promotes the area and all of its local, independent businesses while coming together to put on a regular good old knees up – starting with a launch festival from 2 to 4 September that will see the bars put on simultaneous tap takeovers across cask and keg, featuring some of the UK’s best breweries. With other bits and bobs to be confirmed, this looks to be a smashing weekend to kick off a fantastic local partnership.

Firepit Rocks on West Street closed during August for a refurbishment.

With Magic Rock Brewing of Huddersfield now under new, less controversial ownership the annual Cannonball Run event returned to some bars in Sheffield. This saw three versions of their Cannonball beer on bars alongside each other – Human Cannonball (9.2% ABV West Coast DIPA), Neo Human Cannonball (9.2% New England DIPA) and Super Human Cannonball (10% Imperial IPA) at the Dark Horse in Banner Cross and Abbeydale Tap on Abbeydale Road.

Time for another mention of the Tunnel Tap at Totley Rise shops which has been a long time coming with the conversion work from a shop/office unit into a neighbourhood bar, August saw staff recruitment taking place and shopfitting work including building the bar and fixed seating, it is now expected to open early September, keep an eye on their social media for announcements!

Some of you may have noticed the Three Tuns in Sheffield City Centre closed, the pub is owned by Star Pubs & Bars (part of Heineken) who lease it out to an independent local operator with a tied supply contract, they are currently looking for a new long term tenant and in the meantime intend to reopen it with a licensee on a short term deal according to reports in the Sheffield Star newspaper.

The Antics Improv comedy troupe have been doing some free gigs in pubs alongside their main ticketed shows at the Lantern Theatre. 18 August saw them perform at the Dorothy Pax and they have a show at Grafters Bar on 1 September.

The winners of the Yorkshire Pub and Club of the Year awards have been announced. Pub of the Year is Heaven & Ale in Barnsley whilst Club of the Year is Hanging Heaton Cricket Club in Hanging Heaton (near Dewsbury).

Hop Hideout based in Kommune in Sheffield City Centre, reports the recent hot weather led to a boom in sales of craft cider and perry from their shop’s fridges. Popular brands included Purbeck Cider, Artistraw Cider and Olivers.

Jack Cater, who had the Railway on Bramall Lane before Covid, is back in the pub game with another Railway Hotel – the one on Penistone Road North in Wadsley Bridge. As before expect a selection of real ales and additional craft options on keg.

The Ball at Crookes has had a refurbishment and reopened on the 16 July with live entertainment to celebrate.

The people behind the Indie-go bar at Steel Yard Kelham in Neepsend have announced they are opening a second bar, Indie-go Resurrection in the City Centre premises that was previously the Devonshire Cat. It is expected to open until 3am and feature live music at the weekend. They are hoping to have opened at the end of July in time for Tramlines fringe.

Neepsend Social Club & Canteen is now open on Burton Road, next to the Parrot Club and Peddlers Market. This venue is themed on a traditional working mans club and membership is available offering various perks, however it is open to all Wednesday to Sunday. They serve food until 9pm with a limited seasonal modern British food menu, with dishes like sausage and mash, scampi and chips and chicken in a basket. They also have games including a table football and darts and have quiz nights and bingo! There is no cask ale currently, however local breweries including Abbeydale and Thornbridge are represented on the keg taps.

The Boston Arms at Woodseats have been running a Monday Cask Ale Club with beer reduced to a very affordable £2.80 a pint. Also offering discounts on a Monday to keep the ale flowing on a typically quiet day is the Clubhouse on London Road offering bargain £2.50 pints.

The opening of the Tunnel Tap at Totley Rise gets closer, at the time of writing the flooring was in and the bar was under construction!

1st July saw a beer launch at Heist Brew Co.‘s tap room involving a collaboration with Emperors. The beer involved was “Something Something Dark Side”, an 11% salted caramel imperial stout with three versions available – the base beer, a version aged in a rum barrel and a version aged in a bourbon barrel, the latter being on cask.

The first beer out of Brew Social hit the bar at the Social on Snig Hill on Friday 15 July with brewer Richard Hough and the team there to make it a bit of a launch event. The beer was “Out to Launch” a 4.5% pale ale with Cascade hops. All the BrewSocial beers are to be unfined therefore suitable for vegans and naturally slightly hazy. The first few beers to be brewed will be pale and hoppy at various strengths and with various hop varieties, once they are established a dark beer will follow in time for winter!

The Little John Inn at Hathersage continues to offer a changing selection of beers on both cask and keg and have recently been featuring the relatively local Eyam Brewery with their premium bitter on handpump and strong stouts on keg such as the Bubonic Orange (6%) and Imperial Black Death (11%). A Jam night has been launched on Tuesdays from 8pm and they continue to have a pool table and table football.

The Dog & Partridge on Trippet Lane in Sheffield City Centre have announced they are now free of tie from the pub company they lease the pub from, meaning they can now go to any brewer or wholesale for all their beer lines rather than just the pub company. We can look forward to seeing what interesting different beers start appearing on their bar!

There has been a change of management at the Old Queen’s Head by Sheffield bus Interchange, which is leased from Thwaites Brewery, with Mike and Zuzana calling it a day. The new manager is Josh Tomlinson and there a new chef there, initially serving from a limited menu of pub classics plus lunchtime sandwiches and burgers. We wish every success to Josh and also look forward to seeing Mike and Zuzana on the right side of the bar!

The Coach & Horses in Dronfield is holding a Real Ale & Roots event on Sunday 17 July featuring an outside bar, BBQ, live music and a kids corner featuring face painting and a bounce house. The event is to raise funds for CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young. Bus 43 goes there.

Thornbridge Brewery have decided not to renew the lease on the Cross Scythes at Norton Lees and their last day running the pub will be 23 July. It is owned by a pub company and expected to reopen under the management of a new tenant.

The Sportsman Inn at Lodge Moor is holding Gillyfest on Saturday 30 July from midday to raise money for St Luke’s. It will feature live music throughout the day from the likes of Burnstones, 49’RS, Mam Tour, T-Rex, Ryan Young, Chris Poulton, Steve Delaney and Crafters along with a BBQ, kids ride, stalls and an outside bar. Admission is by charitable donation.

The Fox House closed for refurbishment at the end of April and is projected to reopen on 27 May.

True North Brewery are hosting a Jubilee street party on Saturday 2 June at the brewery on Eldon Street (by Devonshire Green, behind the Forum). A bar will be open in the brewery on the day and there will also be live music and street food.

The Porter Cottage at Sharrow Vale has had a change of ownership and is undergoing a major refurbishment, moving away from the current traditional style to be a bar with graffiti art, live music & DJs and football on the TV and is being rebranded as the Dirty Habit, part of a small chain of bars based mainly in the North East. The beer range is typically very mainstream but with a cask ale available, which at their other bars is from Anarchy Brewery.

The Boston Arms at Woodseats have announced their opening date – Friday 13 May at 4pm. By day it will operate as a coffee shop with the full micropub offering of beer, wines, spirits and cocktails available in the evening with the bar opening from 4pm. From the end of June bar snacks will also be available provided by Pellizco UK, who specialise in Mexican Street food and also have an outlet at Cutlery Works food hall.

The Tunnel Tap at Totley Rise is still on track for a summer opening, at the beginning of May the electrical work was the final part of the renovations to be completed with work moving on to painting and shopfitting.

The Bath Hotel in Sheffield City Centre has now reopened under old management.

The Devonshire Cat has been undergoing re-licencing ahead of being leased out to a new operator.

Mr Wilsons bar and Capone’s speakeasy is now open on West Street, no real ale or craft beer available. A new nightclub has opened at Moorfoot called Rehab, this is part of the Gay Quarter and run by the same people as Queer Junction club and Tafo takeaway, again no real ale or craft beer.

Heist Brew Co. celebrated their fifth birthday over the weekend of 8/9 April with a bit of a party in the tap room. The bar featured a number of breweries from around the world alongside a number of collaborations across both cask and keg. There was also music and a 5% discount on food. The following weekend saw a couple of international brewery showcases featuring Browar Funky Fluid from Poland and Varvar from Ukraine.

Work continues converting a former shop and office unit at Totley Rise into the Tunnel Tap micropub, it is expected that renovations and plumbing etc should be complete by May after which work fitting it out as a bar will commence with opening expected in the summer.

Following the renovations and major refurbishment at the Anchor Inn, Tideswell, that we covered last month, the pub and restaurant has now reopened.

The former Royal Standard pub has now reopened as the Royal Lounge, a late bar with Lebanese food. No real ale or craft beer available.

Industry Hophouse bottle shop and bar on Leadmill Road is no more with the venue now housing two themed pop ups – Karen’s Diner (burger joint with rude staff) and The Alice Experience (cocktail making). The original Industry Tap is still open.

The Leadmill has hit the news recently as the long standing management’s lease comes to an end next year and the building’s owner are taking it back to run the venue themselves. It is expected to be refurbished and become Electric Sheffield, part of a chain.

The last day of Thornbridge Brewery running the Bath Hotel in Sheffield City Centre as 23 April, the pub will reopen after a short break run by a manager employed by the pub’s long time owner, so it should be in safe hands!

A couple of planning applications of interest. The first is the former White Hart at Oughtibridge, which ceased trading around the time the road was closed due to a landslip and was converted into a bridal wear shop, the planning application is to turn the building back into a pub. The other application is to open a new wine bar at 43-45 West Street which will see a number of shop units converted.

Stocksbridge RUFC‘s clubhouse has now reopened following refurbishment.

Work creating the Boston Arms at Woodseats is well underway with this new micropub due to open in the spring. It is on two floors and will operate as a café in the daytime offering hot drinks and baked goodies then from 4pm it will be a bar with real ale and other craft beers.

The Dorothy Pax held a fundraiser for War Child UK and Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal on 17 March. Abbeydale Brewery, Triple Point Brewery, Mikkeller and James Clay & Sons all donated drinks for the event with proceeds from selling them at the bar going to the appeal, there was also a raffle and live music.

Between 8 and 13 March Thornbridge’s tap pubs donated 10% from the sale of every pint of Jaipur IPA to the British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal.

Another sign of pub life being back to normal after two years of Covid restrictions – the Dog & Partridge celebrated St Patrick’s Day in the normal style!

The Scarsdale Hundred at Beighton (near Crystal Peaks, a short walk from the Beighton tram stop) has been running various real ale focused events including a Beermats Brewing Co tap takeover starting on the 14 March and coming up is a Thornbridge Meet the Brewer on 24 March starting at 3pm. They are participating in the national Wethersopoon Real Ale festival starting 30 March with up to 9 beers from the list available at a time.

The Ship Inn at Shalesmoor has reopened under new management.

The Shiny Sheff is under old management! Paul & Phil have moved back there with a 5 year lease with Marstons and plan on reintroducing the Quiz night & karaoke.

The Masons Arms at Crookes has reopened and by the time you read this real ale should be available.

The Bath Hotel closes as a Thornbridge pub after 23rd April. After a short break it is expected to reopen under new management. The pub continues under the same ownership of Brian the previous landlord and had been leased to Thornbridge for the last 10 years

Another new micropub has opened in the Hillsborough area. The Beekeeper can be found at 61 Middlewood Road, opposite B&M and near Hillsborough Park tram stop. It is open Thursday to Sunday with local beers available on cask and keg plus coffee (thanks to Richard Allen for the photo).

Itchy Pig‘s second micropub opened on Ecclesall Road South in Banner Cross on 18 February.

Meanwhile over in Woodseats a new micropub, the Boston Arms, has been given the go ahead by the council to open and is expected to be ready in April. The same people as the Boozehound craft beer bar in Cutlery Works food hall (which closes on 28 February) are behind it. As the former shop unit being converted is close to Woodseats Primary school the bar won’t be opening before 4pm on weekdays.

The Little John Hotel in Hathersage now has a new manager, Simon Smith, running the bar for the long established owners. Simon has experience running pubs for the likes of Mitchells & Butlers but now with a little more freedom has taken the opportunity to be more adventurous with the beer range both in terms of the cask selection and introducing craft beer options to the keg line up.

Breweries featured recently include Abbeydale, Ashover, Neepsend, Pentrich and Thornbridge, amongst others.

The Taphouse Bar bar at Kelham Island unfortunately didn’t survive the Coronavirus pandemic, a new venue is opening in its place called the Chop House Bar & Grill. It is run by the same people as Butcher & Catch restaurant in Broomhill, however the food focus here will be more on the meat including steaks and rotisserie chicken. The bar will stock quality wines designed to go with the food along with local cask ales and cocktails.

Also in Kelham Island a new beer shop with a drink in option has opened in Kelham Island. Hymn to Ninkasi is located on the Little Kelham development, which is accessed next to the Fat Cat.

The former Stew & Oyster bar is no more. Following refurbishment it is now a Salt Brewery tap bar and the food offering is Bao buns.

The Yorkshireman pub on Cross Burgess Street has now been demolished. The pub is thought to be dated back to around 1790 but was apparently suffering structural issues. Sheffield City Council had compulsory purchased it and other buildings in the area as part of the Heart of the City regeneration project. The people that ran the pub until its closure have relocated to the former Mulberry Tavern on Arundel Gate which has been renamed the Yorkshireman Rock Bar.

There are still plans to open Rag N Tag on Shude Hill (between Sheffield Interchange and Ponds Forge), which is located in an arch underneath Commercial Street. This is a long abandoned space that was a pub called Barrow Boys many years ago. It is planned to be a rock bar with some live music, possibly also serving food. The target is to have it finished and open late summer/autumn this year, the delays in the building work have been partly due to Coronavirus restrictions but also issues with drainage from the road above and complications of there now being a tramway running over the structure!

Sheffield’s newest branch of JD Wetherspoon is now open at Beighton, near Crystal Peaks. The Scarsdale Hundred, is in the premises previously occupied by Damons restaurant.

The Dark Horse, a new microbar at Banner Cross, has now opened. Two cask beers are available along with all the other usual pub drinks and food is provided by Slap & Pickle Burgers.

The Royal Standard on St Mary’s Road (inner ring road) was sold off by Enterprise Inns at auction last year and has been stood closed for about a year or so now, but work has started to take place on the premises. The new owner is the company that runs Prime Pizza & Grill in Firth Park, however we do not know their plans for the building as yet.

The Three Cranes has been removed from the Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs guide following its conversion to a hotel (with bar) as all the original features have been ripped out in the process.

The Queen’s Ground at Hillsborough has reopened.

The Anchor near Tideswell is currently closed for renovation, including renewing the electrics.

The Lescar Hotel at Sharrow Vale and Two Thirds Beer Co. on Abbeydale Road both closed in January temporarily for a refurbishment.

A charity gig for NHS charities featuring a night of great music from rock to punk to blues is taking place upstairs at Shakespeares on 26 March. Promised is a night of giving back featuring great music from Kill Your Darlings (covers band playing great tracks from Weezer to Hives), The Hey Hounds (Americana blues rock) and Seconds to Go (Sheffield-based punk, post rock).

The Washington in Sheffield City Centre is hosting a music week from 31 January to 4 February. Each evening there will be live music from 8pm to around 10-11pm, followed by a DJ on until 3am. Real ale available.