Hulloo,
Its much more likely these days that I will visit a newly opened venue than revisit an old haunt, especially given the searing pace at which Sheffield's beer scene is evolving and expanding. In the past fortnight however I have, amongst rather too many, visited an old pub new to me, a new pub in an existing licensed venue which was also new to me, and revisited two pubs that had previously gone somewhat daarn ill....
Nearly two weeks ago, prior to the first venue, I caught the bus up to Heeley and visited the Brothers Arms, which has remained a cracking boozer, and where I had a pint of Bad Seed Imperial lager, sat outside in their wonderful beer garden, enjoying the fabulous cloud patterns in the sky, and, of course, the beer. I then nipped to the Sheaf View where I had a pint of Neepsend and Lost Industry Spruce Almighty on cask, and a half of their dry hopped sour shutter speed on keg. The Shutter Speed was served flat, which didn't suggest it was OK at all, although upon finding out it was a sour the aroma and flavours, when mixed with the dry hopping, made more sense. Evidence I should read beer labels more carefully methinks! I also caught up with Jon and Mandy in the continuously excellent White Lion, next, and had two excellent pints of Abduction, sat in the snug on the left, before getting a taxi to Jabeerwocky.
This new bar is housed in the former Bar Ambassada PL on London Road, a Polish venue. There is still a similar theme to some of the beers sold and Eastern European dishes feature on the excellent food menu. I discovered whilst reading up on the venue after visiting that it is owned or run by Chris who used to be manager at the Bath Hotel. I got to know Chris whilst visiting there and it was ages ago that I spotted him in Bar Stewards (or he me) and he, probably, told me about his new venture. I understand that his partner is in charge of sourcing the food. This puts an extra glint on my single visit, where although the card machine wasn't working, I still had a pint of Gipsy Hill Partizan Pale on keg, and a meal which I often eat at the Czech run Old Queens Head, the name of which currently escapes me. The food was delicious (and much needed), as was the beer, so I will definitely be arranging a return visit soon.
Early last week I was catching up with the wonderful Tash and after meeting in town for a wander and some shopping we decided to pop into the Roebuck on Charles Street, now renamed (perhaps recently?) as the Roebuck Tavern and Kitchen. I used to go in here in the nineties, ended up there during quite a few team nights out in the Noughties, and gave it a go when it was owned by Wood Street Brewery (now no more). The last time I went in was probably three or four years ago and it was fairly terrible. Walking past, we saw boards advertising craft (shudder) beers and food from Yorkshire, and were swung by it's promise to serve proper Yorkshire fishcakes, not rissoles....
On entering there seems to have been a subtle redecoration, and true to their claim the beers on cask did seem to be from Yorkshire - I didn't check them all though as I noticed they had Blue Bee Centennial IPA on at 5.0% so went for a pint of that and a large glass of white for Tash. We tried sitting inside on some stools next to a shelf but there was a red hot radiator on right next to the seats so we headed out onto the terrace for a more comfortable drink and a catch up.
The Blue Bee was a little odd - it was not off but seemed to somehow taste like two separate concoctions. Knowing the breweries wares as I do I was unconvinced that this was how they had intended the beer to taste, but it was palatable so I decided not to mention it.
I did however go inside to the obviatorium, and found there was no working hand drier and the cold tap was rammed firmly and fully on and un-turn-off-able. I managed to turn my tap off with some wrangling so when I went past the bar I pointed out that the tap was on full and couldn't be turned off and that there was no working hand drier. The response I received encapsulated a complaint made by my friend Dougie about younger people being unable to apologise. He had encountered dire service and rooms at an expensive hotel and the starlet behind the counter had said thankyou, instead of, for example, "am really sorry to hear that", or, "we will knock something off your bill, or give you a voucher", or similar. The response to my reporting the above was met with "thanks for letting us know". Well, thanks back. I will go and sit outside with my wet hands whilst your bathroom fills with water. Its such a shame that getting two basic features of a pub right eluded the people at the Roebuck, especially when their beer range has improved and their food sounds very tempting.
The Saturday before I had gone to the Grindstone in Crookes with WK and many of his and our friends to finish his birthday celebrations. I had started drinking in this pub in 1991 when it was still owned by Wards. It was the first and only place I ever tasted Wards Kirby Ale, and also the first place I read Beer Matters magazine. Its fair to say that as well as a different number of previous reputations, the pub has since also had a number of different owners, and rumours that Greedy King were going to sell it may or may not have ousted, perhaps the third management team to walk out and leave the pub closed in the last couple of years. Whether related or not this pub is now owned by Stancill.
Arriving at 22.45 on a Friday night we expected the pub to open til 23.30 or midnight, in line with other venues in Crookes but after my half jokingly telling Wee Keefy to hurry up, they called last orders at 22.55, with the pub already starting to empty by 23.20. I know that in the last thirty years most pubs used to shut at this time but things have surely moved on? That said, although the keg was expensive, all the real ales were £2.50 a pint so I had a couple of pints of Stancill India Ale, and sat around a giant table in a bay window with the gang. In effect we didn't really spend long enough to make a detailed assessment but if nothing else, at least its open, and out of Greedy King's hands....
My final stop was yesterday in Penistone, a place I have only been to the pub in once before. Myself and WK walked from Royd Moor in the warm Easter Sunday sunshine and knowing their beer festival was on we stopped for a couple of halves each in the White Heart, who were hosting the free festival, before walking back to the car. WK tried a half of the Penistone Amber (I think) and I the same brewery's Back Oil stout which had a very distinctive and overpowering burnt taste to it. WK then had a half of Ashover Font which was excellent and myself a Fernandes Blue something, which was very enjoyable. The beers at the festival are all £3.20 a pint but I am told that normally in the bar all the beers are £4.00 a pint, which is pretty pricey for a 3.8% bitter on cask. WK went on Good Friday and expected to enjoy the Hog Roast which was advertised but was told that they weren't having one on Good Friday, and there was no evidence that there had been one on Sunday or was going to be. Again, little things, but puzzling why nobody has sorted them out. Am led to believe as well that this is one of the few places in the town to get a choice of real ales, so it is perhaps somewhere I may pop back into to check out it and its competition.
Having visited four completely different venues with differing results in each, this once again shows that the range of places to try beers in different types of location continues to change and expand apace. And it has also been a perfect way to enjoy the made up festival of bunnies that is Easter....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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