Hello,
about this time last week, maybe an hour later, I had sent a tweet to the Red House Sheffield's new and largely unfindable Twitter account. In it, I asked them what times they opened on a Saturday, as I had been there at 19.00 last Saturday and found no signs of life. I did not receive a reply, and discussed this on Monday with W's K and F. When I returned that night, I received a message from Andy C telling me that he had been emailed by the pub. They had closed after three weeks, and the pub was now back in the hands of Punch.
This is not a surprise. Not at all. So what went wrong?
Well, here's a tip. If you are going to reopen a former live music and DJ venue in a hard to find back street area of Sheffield as a quiet, traditional back street boozer, you should advertise. Not simply put a piece of paper on the door (that is how I found out it was reopening) and let Sheffield CAMRA know, and then a week or so after opening create the worlds least informative Twitter account. No, you need to advertise and publicise the fact via as many mediums as possible.
I heard that Craig and Marie had been successful tenants of the Peaks Hotel in Castleton and the Castle at Bradway. I thought I remembers hearing that the peaks had started selling local real ales, which is a bonus for Castleton (although that is based on my last visit, about 8 years ago) and the Castle has always seemingly had a good reputation for food and real ales. Imagine my surprise then at finding the three real ales they had on their delayed opening night did not change two weeks in. I say did not change - am not suggesting they were the same casks - although the moonshine tasted like it was the first sold that week.
You see, their promises were not that watertight it turned out. For instance, on their advertisement, they claimed to sell local craft and real ales. The range never changed, as above, from Moonshine, York Guzzler and Castle Rock Harvest Pale. Myself and Mr P were in two weeks or more ago, and Marie showed us the Punch finest cask list she could choose beers from, and to be fair there were some that I have never tired, and some I would really like to. She said originally that they wanted to get onto the SIBA guest beers list but two weeks after opening, she said the pub co had confirmed that this was not going to happen. They also claimed to do food and high quality coffee, there is a sign up about food but I don't know if this ever got going. I never asked about a coffee, but I assume the machine required was also not delivered. Or not ordered.
When I last went in with Mr P Marie said she was fed up with it being so quiet - and as I was about to point out the lack of publicity, she said "but what do you expect wi' no advertising". I agreed, but found this a very strange statement. She ran the pub with Craig. Both of them should have been promoting it. It's almost like they opened it and assumed passers by, you know, mainly the Chinese student population would simply pop in and make it their go to place for a drink. Guess what? That didn't happen.
I thought Craig and Marie were friendly, knowledgeable and good hosts. And I only visited their pub three or four times. I can't for the life of me think why they took the pub on though, and did nothing to make it a success. And something that Mr P said, after, as a respected poet and performer of poetry, he offered to put on a poetry night and received no contact about doing so, stuck in my mind. Perhaps the pub company offered them the chance to run the pub badly for three or four weeks, and then agreed that they could leave - so that the pub could be deemed non-viable and turned into flats, like almost every other building of that age locally.
I understand a successful local firm on Upper Allen street have been offered vast sums to vacate their premises so they could be turned into student flats. Am sure that the Red House represents a great opportunity for conversion. If this is the case, and such plans are afoot, that is hugely disappointing.
I don't want to be writing a post six or twelve months down the line about another lost boozer in Sheffield. Granted the Red House has been more of a venue for some years now, but I think it could be turned into the pub promised last month - but not without extensive coverage and advertising, determination positivity and crucially, the right support from Punch. It wouldn't be competing directly with any of their pubs - because there are no pubs locally that aren't independent.
If anyone has any knowledge of the plans for th Red House do feel free to let me know. And if it does reopen as a pub, I would encourage you to visit it in huge numbers to prove it is viable.
Cheers
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Back Street Boozers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Back Street Boozers. Show all posts
Sunday, 25 October 2015
Thursday, 24 September 2015
The Red House 168 Solly Street Sheffield
Hello,
on Tuesday I sat in a quiet Three Tuns awaiting the chance to visit the Red House, which was reopening, on Solly Street. I was surprised that I hadn't heard anything about its reopening apart from a note on the door, and a mention in the Inn Brief section of Sheffield CAMRA's Beer Matters. So I put a note on Facebook asking for an update. In the end, Mr Cullen confirmed the furniture had only just arrived and they would now reopen tomorrow. So last night, once again sat in the Three Tuns supping Blue Bee Attack of the Geek, now far busier, I joined Matty and Tash to visit the Red House.
When I got in the couple running the pub were sat in the room on the left with Mr Cullen. He had been there about 20 minutes we found out later, and this would have been about 20.45, so depending on when they unlocked the doors there was only 1 customer in after an hour or two, or more, of opening.
The pub is leased from Punch Taverns and the couple are trying to get onto the SIBA list instead of Punch finest cask. This would give them acces to a wider range of real ales. The three real ales on were Castle Rock Harvest Pale, York Guzzler and Abbeydale Moonshine. Matty and Tash had a pint of that and I a pint of the Castle Rock. The beer was clear and tasted OK apart from a slight aftertaste - a bit like the line at the Closed Shop where they had the dark beers prior to refurbishment. After this, we moved onto pints of Moonshine for all three of us, which was in decent form.
The keg lines are mainly continental lager including Budvar and I understand there are some decent bottled beers available as well. Food will be served sooner or later, as will coffee, however neither are as yet available.
There is a young Police dog puppy called Parker there - he is being housed by Craig and Marie who are running the pub. Its good to see a dog friendly boozer in what is more or less the city centre, and for soft spots like me Matty and Tash the dog was a hit.
The decor is quite modern, which is a shame. Every time in the last 10 years I went in the pub it was dark - so I have no idea if when it was closed in 2005 or 2006 the original wood paneling was robbed or ripped out, or had been by previous landlords. I first visited in 1994 and supped Wards bitter and ate some dinner. Then, It was a very well presented traditional back street boozer. I understand the previous incarnation as a venue is not what the pub intends to be, however, what I am not sure of is what the pub is intending to be.....
More to the point, what is the pub's targeat market? Its notoriously difficult to find Solly Street from up near Brook Hill roundabout, easier if you come off Tenter Street, but its surrounded by flats housing mostly overseas students. The Ship on Shalesmoor is in the same situation, although easier to find or spot, and the landlord there once told me that the pub was busy with regulars from all over the city, as there were no locals to visit the pub. I can't see the Red House attracting overses students, so if musicians and lovers of live music aren't to be tempted back, who will be?
I ask this question only because I am chuffed that the pub hasn't closed down, and that they continue to sell real ale, and that there is still a lovely balcony to sit on at the back along with a pleasant room next to the loos to relax in, but I worry that it will struggle to attract sufficient trade.
You may think this is a bit of a doom and gloom review for what is a recently reopened pub - less than 24 hours - but its reopening was not announced anywhere other than in Beer Matters and on the door, and its postponement was not mentioned anywhere apart from on my Facebook page. On that site, as well, the Red House page is still the one which was maintained by the previous tenants. I think they need to promote the pub more!
After Parker had been consigned to the back, two gents came in a stood chatting at the bar and we left about 23.00 and walked down to Shakespeares. I like the fact that its a quiet place to have a pint of real ale and a chat. I just don't know if there are sufficient numbers of drinkers in Sheffield who know, or want, the same. I do, however, wish Craig and Marie all the very best.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
on Tuesday I sat in a quiet Three Tuns awaiting the chance to visit the Red House, which was reopening, on Solly Street. I was surprised that I hadn't heard anything about its reopening apart from a note on the door, and a mention in the Inn Brief section of Sheffield CAMRA's Beer Matters. So I put a note on Facebook asking for an update. In the end, Mr Cullen confirmed the furniture had only just arrived and they would now reopen tomorrow. So last night, once again sat in the Three Tuns supping Blue Bee Attack of the Geek, now far busier, I joined Matty and Tash to visit the Red House.
When I got in the couple running the pub were sat in the room on the left with Mr Cullen. He had been there about 20 minutes we found out later, and this would have been about 20.45, so depending on when they unlocked the doors there was only 1 customer in after an hour or two, or more, of opening.
The pub is leased from Punch Taverns and the couple are trying to get onto the SIBA list instead of Punch finest cask. This would give them acces to a wider range of real ales. The three real ales on were Castle Rock Harvest Pale, York Guzzler and Abbeydale Moonshine. Matty and Tash had a pint of that and I a pint of the Castle Rock. The beer was clear and tasted OK apart from a slight aftertaste - a bit like the line at the Closed Shop where they had the dark beers prior to refurbishment. After this, we moved onto pints of Moonshine for all three of us, which was in decent form.
The keg lines are mainly continental lager including Budvar and I understand there are some decent bottled beers available as well. Food will be served sooner or later, as will coffee, however neither are as yet available.
There is a young Police dog puppy called Parker there - he is being housed by Craig and Marie who are running the pub. Its good to see a dog friendly boozer in what is more or less the city centre, and for soft spots like me Matty and Tash the dog was a hit.
The decor is quite modern, which is a shame. Every time in the last 10 years I went in the pub it was dark - so I have no idea if when it was closed in 2005 or 2006 the original wood paneling was robbed or ripped out, or had been by previous landlords. I first visited in 1994 and supped Wards bitter and ate some dinner. Then, It was a very well presented traditional back street boozer. I understand the previous incarnation as a venue is not what the pub intends to be, however, what I am not sure of is what the pub is intending to be.....
More to the point, what is the pub's targeat market? Its notoriously difficult to find Solly Street from up near Brook Hill roundabout, easier if you come off Tenter Street, but its surrounded by flats housing mostly overseas students. The Ship on Shalesmoor is in the same situation, although easier to find or spot, and the landlord there once told me that the pub was busy with regulars from all over the city, as there were no locals to visit the pub. I can't see the Red House attracting overses students, so if musicians and lovers of live music aren't to be tempted back, who will be?
I ask this question only because I am chuffed that the pub hasn't closed down, and that they continue to sell real ale, and that there is still a lovely balcony to sit on at the back along with a pleasant room next to the loos to relax in, but I worry that it will struggle to attract sufficient trade.
You may think this is a bit of a doom and gloom review for what is a recently reopened pub - less than 24 hours - but its reopening was not announced anywhere other than in Beer Matters and on the door, and its postponement was not mentioned anywhere apart from on my Facebook page. On that site, as well, the Red House page is still the one which was maintained by the previous tenants. I think they need to promote the pub more!
After Parker had been consigned to the back, two gents came in a stood chatting at the bar and we left about 23.00 and walked down to Shakespeares. I like the fact that its a quiet place to have a pint of real ale and a chat. I just don't know if there are sufficient numbers of drinkers in Sheffield who know, or want, the same. I do, however, wish Craig and Marie all the very best.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Wednesday, 26 August 2015
Back street boozers
Hello,
if you have ever been lucky enough to visit the Hand & Heart in Peterborough or the Golden Ball in York you will have some understanding, and hopefully appreciation, of what a back street boozer is and can be. Often plain but with a number of rooms,usually a tap and a lounge and snug, mainly selling real ale and almost always full of characters, and, in the case of the above, possessing nationally noteworthy interior features.
Luckily, although we are only blessed with one National Inventory pub here in Sheffield (itself a back street boozer, albeit on a corner) we do have other notable survivals. Here are details of two I have recently visited.
The first is the Grapes on Trippet Lane. Granted, a back street boozer is often part of a row of houses or similar, but the Grapes stands alone only by virtue of driveways and demolitions nearby. Inside is where it really stands out as a back street boozer however. Trippet Lane is behind West Street and has 4 pubs on it, with the Grapes being owned, as the sign on the side proclaims, by the Flynn family. For years they leased the Grapes and ran the nearby Dog and Partridge until the pub company increased the rent to the extent where it was more profitable to take their own pub back under their control. Fixtures fittings staff and regulars alike moved a few doors up and we now have the Grapes in its current guise, showing its considerable original features off.
There are three rooms in the Grapes, plus the loos, and three real ales. There is also a decoratively tiled drinking corridor with a TV, and a beautiful patio to sit on and soak up the sunshine. Or the rain. The beers are Tetley Bitter, Stancil Bitter and Abbeydale Moonshine. The Moonshine is perhaps the best I have tasted (apart from at Daves beer shop, granted) and is served just cool enough to be refreshing without losing any of its flavour. The pub also sells the new Guinness Dublin Porter and Golden ale on keg, and the full range of new Guinness beers in bottle should the fancy take you.
The pub can get very busy and crowded especially if there is a wake on, and when busy there are often drinkers spilling out onto the street. The rooms inside are small but the pub is clean and well run and homely, just like a back street hostelry should be.
The other pub I visited recently is the hostelry known locally as Fanny's on the corner of Earl Street and Arundel Lane. The pub stands alone as the only residential building on a street of factories and industrial units. The Lord Nelson as it is now known is a compact pub which, although slightly opened out inside still retains its three room layout, and in rare moments of clement weather, there are seats and tables outside for drinkers.
For years it was a Kimberly brewery pub (and possibly a Stones House previously?) and now owned by Greedy King. In the mid noughties I used to go in and have Kimberly or Hardy Hanson Olde Trip, but on a couple of occasions this was on its last legs. Since then, the beer range has improved significantly, as has the beer quality.
Of the 4 beers available on Monday we all had pints of the Toolmakers Die Sage Bier, a hoppy pale lager malted ale at 4.2% (ish) and £2.80 a pint. The beer was in perfect nick and although I don't remember what else was on, it was well worth three pints for each of us. More importantly, it was lovely to sit in the tiny room on the right and watch the world pass by, listening to conversations or the football on the telly and generally relaxing.
In years gone by both of these pubs used to be in the Good Beer Guide, and although maybe overtaken by other pubs in Sheffield regarding ale, their stoic unchanging attitude, mainly in respect of their interior features, makes them well worth a visit.
Lets hope I can try out some other similar pubs in Sheffield as well.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
if you have ever been lucky enough to visit the Hand & Heart in Peterborough or the Golden Ball in York you will have some understanding, and hopefully appreciation, of what a back street boozer is and can be. Often plain but with a number of rooms,usually a tap and a lounge and snug, mainly selling real ale and almost always full of characters, and, in the case of the above, possessing nationally noteworthy interior features.
Luckily, although we are only blessed with one National Inventory pub here in Sheffield (itself a back street boozer, albeit on a corner) we do have other notable survivals. Here are details of two I have recently visited.
The first is the Grapes on Trippet Lane. Granted, a back street boozer is often part of a row of houses or similar, but the Grapes stands alone only by virtue of driveways and demolitions nearby. Inside is where it really stands out as a back street boozer however. Trippet Lane is behind West Street and has 4 pubs on it, with the Grapes being owned, as the sign on the side proclaims, by the Flynn family. For years they leased the Grapes and ran the nearby Dog and Partridge until the pub company increased the rent to the extent where it was more profitable to take their own pub back under their control. Fixtures fittings staff and regulars alike moved a few doors up and we now have the Grapes in its current guise, showing its considerable original features off.
There are three rooms in the Grapes, plus the loos, and three real ales. There is also a decoratively tiled drinking corridor with a TV, and a beautiful patio to sit on and soak up the sunshine. Or the rain. The beers are Tetley Bitter, Stancil Bitter and Abbeydale Moonshine. The Moonshine is perhaps the best I have tasted (apart from at Daves beer shop, granted) and is served just cool enough to be refreshing without losing any of its flavour. The pub also sells the new Guinness Dublin Porter and Golden ale on keg, and the full range of new Guinness beers in bottle should the fancy take you.
The pub can get very busy and crowded especially if there is a wake on, and when busy there are often drinkers spilling out onto the street. The rooms inside are small but the pub is clean and well run and homely, just like a back street hostelry should be.
The other pub I visited recently is the hostelry known locally as Fanny's on the corner of Earl Street and Arundel Lane. The pub stands alone as the only residential building on a street of factories and industrial units. The Lord Nelson as it is now known is a compact pub which, although slightly opened out inside still retains its three room layout, and in rare moments of clement weather, there are seats and tables outside for drinkers.
For years it was a Kimberly brewery pub (and possibly a Stones House previously?) and now owned by Greedy King. In the mid noughties I used to go in and have Kimberly or Hardy Hanson Olde Trip, but on a couple of occasions this was on its last legs. Since then, the beer range has improved significantly, as has the beer quality.
Of the 4 beers available on Monday we all had pints of the Toolmakers Die Sage Bier, a hoppy pale lager malted ale at 4.2% (ish) and £2.80 a pint. The beer was in perfect nick and although I don't remember what else was on, it was well worth three pints for each of us. More importantly, it was lovely to sit in the tiny room on the right and watch the world pass by, listening to conversations or the football on the telly and generally relaxing.
In years gone by both of these pubs used to be in the Good Beer Guide, and although maybe overtaken by other pubs in Sheffield regarding ale, their stoic unchanging attitude, mainly in respect of their interior features, makes them well worth a visit.
Lets hope I can try out some other similar pubs in Sheffield as well.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Jubilee pubs
Hello,
the Diamond Jubilee has meant bunting and flags on pubs, plus festivals and other events in pubs this weekend. Its interesting because with the unfortunate associations that people make between patriotism and bigotry, more so with the Ingurrlish flag of the Israeli Saint George, the site of bunting and Union Jacks can sometimes be a bit off putting.
Add to this the rather vexatious issue of sovereignty and the monarchy and you have quite a few weighty issues attached to the way pubs are done out during the jubilee, but personally, irrespective of my feelings about Royalty, Jubilee flags on pubs means only one thing to me - the Vine Inn, Tunstall, Stoke On Trent.
Back in 2002 Wee Fatha was collecting firkins of real ale for Del at the Hillsborough Hotel. I was accompanying him on a jaunt round Cheshire picking up some Weetwood ales or similar, and I twisted his arm to drive us to the pub in Tunstall. I didn't have Internet at home or at work back then so information was very limited, and a good part of the visit comprised of trying to find the place. Once there it was quickly apparent why I'd wanted to go, and the effort had been worth it.
With only the address to go on, we stopped somewhere near Pitts Hill to ask directions, got some to Pitts Hill, and then stopped on Pitts Hill itself to find someone who knew where Naylor Street was. Luckily they did, because its off a little side street, and you can't see the pub from the road. We inched up the street in the van and pulled up just past the tiny back street gem which is the Vine, resplendent in flags and bunting for the Silver Jubilee.
I had rang earlier in the week and had one of those conversations that you only seem to have with the owners of redoubtable old boozers. Having taken a few goes to ascertain that it was the pub, I then enquired if it would be open at the time we would be in Tunstall. "Why do you want to know" came the puzzled response. I explained that the pub was on the National Inventory and I wanted to visit but needed to know ir would be open. Further questions followed about where I was coming from, and who I worked for, before I stated that in fact, I was a customer. Silence followed, then reiteration of opening times, and the lengthy process was finished.
Arriving at the pub it was busy and we just managed to grab a seat in the tiny bar room on the right. The interior of the pub is its draw, and it still retains three separate rooms. A long corridor led to the private kitchen, where I understand, one of the old ladies who owned the pub were sat. Down the corridor on the left was the games room, with a hatch for service opposite. On the left as you entered was the lounge.
This was the most unspoilt room in the pub. The lounge really was just that. Tables with tablecloths and mats, net curtains, period furnishings and a lot of older ladies sat nursing delicate drams of the spirit bars finest. Its a phrase you hear a lot about unspoilt pubs, that its like walking into someones house, but this room really was. It wouldn't have looked out of place if someone had brought in a pot of tea, popped on the radio and opened a pack of biscuits.
Back in the bar there was no real ale (still is) but there was keg Double Diamond on the bar, a novelty if not entirely enjoyable beer if nothing else. Unfortunately, our stay was short, as we had to get the beer back to Hillsborough, and this coupled with how busy the pub was prevented me from taking any photo's whilst I was there. I did get one or two when I visited in 2009 though.
The Vine is an amazing example of an unchanged back street pub, and I highly recommend a visit - bunting or no bunting. And no matter whether I get to go again or not, I'll still remember how it looked decked out red white and blue in 2002.
There is a link to the CAMRA heritage pubs website page for the pub here . The photo's are far better.....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
the Diamond Jubilee has meant bunting and flags on pubs, plus festivals and other events in pubs this weekend. Its interesting because with the unfortunate associations that people make between patriotism and bigotry, more so with the Ingurrlish flag of the Israeli Saint George, the site of bunting and Union Jacks can sometimes be a bit off putting.
Add to this the rather vexatious issue of sovereignty and the monarchy and you have quite a few weighty issues attached to the way pubs are done out during the jubilee, but personally, irrespective of my feelings about Royalty, Jubilee flags on pubs means only one thing to me - the Vine Inn, Tunstall, Stoke On Trent.
Back in 2002 Wee Fatha was collecting firkins of real ale for Del at the Hillsborough Hotel. I was accompanying him on a jaunt round Cheshire picking up some Weetwood ales or similar, and I twisted his arm to drive us to the pub in Tunstall. I didn't have Internet at home or at work back then so information was very limited, and a good part of the visit comprised of trying to find the place. Once there it was quickly apparent why I'd wanted to go, and the effort had been worth it.
With only the address to go on, we stopped somewhere near Pitts Hill to ask directions, got some to Pitts Hill, and then stopped on Pitts Hill itself to find someone who knew where Naylor Street was. Luckily they did, because its off a little side street, and you can't see the pub from the road. We inched up the street in the van and pulled up just past the tiny back street gem which is the Vine, resplendent in flags and bunting for the Silver Jubilee.
I had rang earlier in the week and had one of those conversations that you only seem to have with the owners of redoubtable old boozers. Having taken a few goes to ascertain that it was the pub, I then enquired if it would be open at the time we would be in Tunstall. "Why do you want to know" came the puzzled response. I explained that the pub was on the National Inventory and I wanted to visit but needed to know ir would be open. Further questions followed about where I was coming from, and who I worked for, before I stated that in fact, I was a customer. Silence followed, then reiteration of opening times, and the lengthy process was finished.
Arriving at the pub it was busy and we just managed to grab a seat in the tiny bar room on the right. The interior of the pub is its draw, and it still retains three separate rooms. A long corridor led to the private kitchen, where I understand, one of the old ladies who owned the pub were sat. Down the corridor on the left was the games room, with a hatch for service opposite. On the left as you entered was the lounge.
 |
| A not very good picture of the hatch and corridor. |
This was the most unspoilt room in the pub. The lounge really was just that. Tables with tablecloths and mats, net curtains, period furnishings and a lot of older ladies sat nursing delicate drams of the spirit bars finest. Its a phrase you hear a lot about unspoilt pubs, that its like walking into someones house, but this room really was. It wouldn't have looked out of place if someone had brought in a pot of tea, popped on the radio and opened a pack of biscuits.
Back in the bar there was no real ale (still is) but there was keg Double Diamond on the bar, a novelty if not entirely enjoyable beer if nothing else. Unfortunately, our stay was short, as we had to get the beer back to Hillsborough, and this coupled with how busy the pub was prevented me from taking any photo's whilst I was there. I did get one or two when I visited in 2009 though.
The Vine is an amazing example of an unchanged back street pub, and I highly recommend a visit - bunting or no bunting. And no matter whether I get to go again or not, I'll still remember how it looked decked out red white and blue in 2002.
There is a link to the CAMRA heritage pubs website page for the pub here . The photo's are far better.....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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