Hullurr
I am. as usual, about a month late with this announcement, but I would like to tell you about a new venue that has opened on West Street. Despite their Facebook page map showing Chesterfield or elsewhere in Derbyshire, the West Street Ale House is based on West Street. In Sheffield. Right at the bottom near the corner of Holly Street, round the corner from the horror of Maggie Mays.
It inhabits the remnants of the Icons nightclub, which I am willing to admit I visited - I only noticed on my way out that they had a handpump at the end of the bar. Now there are four or five handpumps (these are just numbers) and six or seven or so keg lines, four of which, or less, or more, are guest lines. Rigorous research there.
They have some of their cask lines tied to Coors so are restricted to what guests they can sell on those, but I think this may be looked into. They also sell a wonderful range of bottles including many from Hitachino Nest the Japanese brewery. The last few times I have visited I have had a bottle of their Red Rice Ale, a glorious red rye amber ale with bags of flavour.
Other regular features are guests from Adnams, so I had Ghost Ship which is a very pleasant hoppy ale, and the superb Torpedo strong pale from Sierra Nevada on keg. This is my go to pint, at somewhere around 7%. Guest cask and kegs change regularly, with the excellent Brew Foundation Hops and Dreams being a very refreshing, and well balanced ale. The bar is owned by the American guy called Adrian, or indeed,one of thousands of other potential male human names. who is involved with the Cremorne and the former Hermitage on London Road.
The other pubs I wanted to mention are two I visited last week, so ths is much more up to date. The Cow and Calf on Skew Hill Lane in Grenoside is a traditional Sam Smiths pub selling their single real ale, a range of kegs and their bottles - as we said last time, alas not the excellent Yorkshire Stingo which I had at Christmas. On this visit to Mumrah's nearby I only visited once, but enjoyed a pint and a half sat on a tiny chair with a table next to the fireplace in the bar. Its interesting to see the sort of people who come in to drink in an afternoon, and enjoyable to sup a beer at £1.80 a pint. Long may their success continue.
Finally, I must mention the Railway at Wadsley bridge. A fine, largely unspoilt but extended boozer on Halifax road where it stops being Penistone Road. We were in there late afternoon and the pub was quiet, with sun streaming in through the windows and comfy seating in the room to the right as you enter, with a lovely old fireplace. There was a group of older gents in when we arrived but when we went to sit down they had left, as it took us a while to get our beers. The Bradfield Blonde ran out whilst the guy was pouring our second pint. He went down to the cellar but announced what we had was all ere was, so I had a pint of that and a free third, and Tash had a pint of the Brown Cow.
We sat in the same spot for over an hour, identifying the sightly eclectic mix of tracks playing in the background, warmed by the sunshine, and happy, relaxed and calm, watching people come and go. We had enough funds for a further pint, and shared this and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Am guessing the pub is still run by Jean, and am sure I know Ian the barman from somewhere, but I haven't seen Jean on my last two visits. Whether it is or it isn't, well doe to the owners for saving and revitalising this pub.
So, there you have it - for every new pub that opens in Sheffield there are still two old unspoilt boozers to also visit. Maybe, Sheffield really is the real ale (and excellent pub) capital of the UK.
Your very good health
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Cow and Calf Grenoside. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cow and Calf Grenoside. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 April 2016
Saturday, 27 June 2015
Wadsley Wonderland
Now then,
the weekend before my birthday Mumrah and Martin went away on holiday. One of their cats, was ill and needed looking after - feed on sight was the answer we were told, because he "normally doesn't eat anything". This turned out, as we arrived Friday night and left Sunday, to be the most inaccurate assessment of a cat ever. It would have been worse, however,if we hadn't spent some time wandering round the local area sampling a beer or two.
Here is my assessment of a few pubs near Wadsley Bridge.
Having arrived after work we set about feeding the cats and enjoying the garden whilst planning where we might want to go later. In the end we opted to leave late and wander down Foxhill Road to the Railway at Wadsley Bridge. The Railway, as I reported only 4 years ago is, or maybe was, run by the inimitable Jean. At the end of this post is a link to that original assessment, which includes reviews of other local pubs.
The Railway then, and likely now, has reduced opening hours, is only open Friday to Sunday as far as I know, and has an older clientele, who enjoy the covers bands that perform in the back room. The pub still has its original layout, or at least, its 4 years old layout, of a room on the left, an area on the right, the bar, an opened out room on the left and then an extended back room further on where the music is played.
There were two handpumps both serving Bradfield beers - we both had pints of their Blonde (the other was Yorkshire Farmer) and it was in tip top condition,and excellent value at £2.60 a pint. We didn't see Jean to be honest but she always looked after her beers well so she may well still be involved. The beer was fantastic.
As it was warm and dryish we sat out in the back garden, listening to the band, supping 2 or 3 pints of delicious real ale and chatting to some locals. The Railway is a pub I think I should visit more often.
Next we diverted to a large supermarket and came back with supplies, dropping in on the Fox on Foxhill Road, formerly the Fox and Hounds. I never went in the Fox and Hounds and his was my first visit to the Fox. It was quite late when we arrived but we got served quickly - the only real ale from two pumps is Doom Bar. I can't pretend I like Doom Bar but at least its real ale. So me and Tash had a pint each, and then a further half before we went home.
We initially sat outside on snazzy reflective tables in light rain, and before long the precipitation forced us inside. There is loud music and telly on in the pub, which has a long bar area, with a pool table set back on the left and what I understand is the dining area on the right towards the back.
Regular readers may already be sensing my distaste at the design and beer choice, but actually, its an estate pub, doing what its customers want. It was reasonably busy, sells real ale, and I understand the Sunday lunches are lovely and great value. Estate pubs are becoming a rarity in Sheffield and this survival, selling real ale as it does, is to be celebrated.
The next day we woke early and sent a long time pottering around inside since it was throwing it down. After a short walk in the late afternoon in muggy sunshine, myself and Tash walked to the local Asda to get some cash, and then past another estate pub. The Basset*, sadly, appears to be closed. Tash used to go in and drink one of the two different real ales that the landlord used to put on regularly. That is, before he was dragged out onto parkland nearby by thugs one night and nearly beaten to death. Its a shame that nobody publicised the beers at the pub because I understand they were good in variety and well priced and kept. Such a shame to see another closed estate pub.
We headed on up tp Grenoside and up Skew Hill Lane to the Cow and Calf. I have been drinking in here since I was a child, and the interior of the pub itself seems unchanged. Granted, much adjoining land has been swallowed up by large new build houses, which is a shame, but it is stilll a beautiful old pub, selling very inexpensive real ale.
As it was dry again, and muggy, we opted to have two pints of Sam Smiths Old Brewery Bitter and to sit outside. We talked about pubs and previous visits and drank more beer before eventually managing to secure a seat, at a tiny table, inside. Two more pints followed although these were near the end of the barrel - something that I find very easy to tell with Sam Smiths - so we moved onto bottles of their Oatmeal stout. The large (I think 550 or 560ml) bottles are slightly more expensive at £3.80 a go but the beer is delicious.
We attracted some attention form the locals drinking bottles, most of whom had never tried them, and another bottle and two more pints came. The landlord told me he was struggling to sell them, and wanted to get some Yorkshire Stingo - if you are reading this, please post on here when you get some!
We stayed late before we wandered back down the hill to my Mum's to have some wine and liver bacon and onions for a late tea.
This visit was admittedly only brief but showed the area has plenty to offer in terms of pub stock. Here is a link to my previous post about pubs in the area from 4 years ago for comparison.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
*apologies - I mis-remembered this as the Beagle - now updated correctly.
the weekend before my birthday Mumrah and Martin went away on holiday. One of their cats, was ill and needed looking after - feed on sight was the answer we were told, because he "normally doesn't eat anything". This turned out, as we arrived Friday night and left Sunday, to be the most inaccurate assessment of a cat ever. It would have been worse, however,if we hadn't spent some time wandering round the local area sampling a beer or two.
Here is my assessment of a few pubs near Wadsley Bridge.
Having arrived after work we set about feeding the cats and enjoying the garden whilst planning where we might want to go later. In the end we opted to leave late and wander down Foxhill Road to the Railway at Wadsley Bridge. The Railway, as I reported only 4 years ago is, or maybe was, run by the inimitable Jean. At the end of this post is a link to that original assessment, which includes reviews of other local pubs.
The Railway then, and likely now, has reduced opening hours, is only open Friday to Sunday as far as I know, and has an older clientele, who enjoy the covers bands that perform in the back room. The pub still has its original layout, or at least, its 4 years old layout, of a room on the left, an area on the right, the bar, an opened out room on the left and then an extended back room further on where the music is played.
There were two handpumps both serving Bradfield beers - we both had pints of their Blonde (the other was Yorkshire Farmer) and it was in tip top condition,and excellent value at £2.60 a pint. We didn't see Jean to be honest but she always looked after her beers well so she may well still be involved. The beer was fantastic.
As it was warm and dryish we sat out in the back garden, listening to the band, supping 2 or 3 pints of delicious real ale and chatting to some locals. The Railway is a pub I think I should visit more often.
Next we diverted to a large supermarket and came back with supplies, dropping in on the Fox on Foxhill Road, formerly the Fox and Hounds. I never went in the Fox and Hounds and his was my first visit to the Fox. It was quite late when we arrived but we got served quickly - the only real ale from two pumps is Doom Bar. I can't pretend I like Doom Bar but at least its real ale. So me and Tash had a pint each, and then a further half before we went home.
We initially sat outside on snazzy reflective tables in light rain, and before long the precipitation forced us inside. There is loud music and telly on in the pub, which has a long bar area, with a pool table set back on the left and what I understand is the dining area on the right towards the back.
Regular readers may already be sensing my distaste at the design and beer choice, but actually, its an estate pub, doing what its customers want. It was reasonably busy, sells real ale, and I understand the Sunday lunches are lovely and great value. Estate pubs are becoming a rarity in Sheffield and this survival, selling real ale as it does, is to be celebrated.
The next day we woke early and sent a long time pottering around inside since it was throwing it down. After a short walk in the late afternoon in muggy sunshine, myself and Tash walked to the local Asda to get some cash, and then past another estate pub. The Basset*, sadly, appears to be closed. Tash used to go in and drink one of the two different real ales that the landlord used to put on regularly. That is, before he was dragged out onto parkland nearby by thugs one night and nearly beaten to death. Its a shame that nobody publicised the beers at the pub because I understand they were good in variety and well priced and kept. Such a shame to see another closed estate pub.
We headed on up tp Grenoside and up Skew Hill Lane to the Cow and Calf. I have been drinking in here since I was a child, and the interior of the pub itself seems unchanged. Granted, much adjoining land has been swallowed up by large new build houses, which is a shame, but it is stilll a beautiful old pub, selling very inexpensive real ale.
As it was dry again, and muggy, we opted to have two pints of Sam Smiths Old Brewery Bitter and to sit outside. We talked about pubs and previous visits and drank more beer before eventually managing to secure a seat, at a tiny table, inside. Two more pints followed although these were near the end of the barrel - something that I find very easy to tell with Sam Smiths - so we moved onto bottles of their Oatmeal stout. The large (I think 550 or 560ml) bottles are slightly more expensive at £3.80 a go but the beer is delicious.
We attracted some attention form the locals drinking bottles, most of whom had never tried them, and another bottle and two more pints came. The landlord told me he was struggling to sell them, and wanted to get some Yorkshire Stingo - if you are reading this, please post on here when you get some!
We stayed late before we wandered back down the hill to my Mum's to have some wine and liver bacon and onions for a late tea.
This visit was admittedly only brief but showed the area has plenty to offer in terms of pub stock. Here is a link to my previous post about pubs in the area from 4 years ago for comparison.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
*apologies - I mis-remembered this as the Beagle - now updated correctly.
Monday, 25 June 2012
Torch shines on the path to beers
Orw waaaaarh,
today marks the day that I summoned up what little pride I had and fannied about in Parson Cross and Southey to watch a family friend carry the olympic torch to, er, the end of the road.
Getting there in the first place was purgatory - every twat boarding the bus seemed incapable of assuming that they may need to alter their route - having been blessed with thinking, we waited until we knew we were near Yew Lane (having checked the timetable earlier) and asked the driver, once, quickly, when we were nearby, how far he would go, which as he had exasperatedly explained to many other morons, he didn't know, and we'd have to wait and see where the route was closed when we were near (like what we were).
So, degree in understanding basic facts attained, we waited until Chaucer Avenue and then enquired if we could embark on a trip up Yew Lane, which we did, disembarking at what was alas the end of our friends route but still not too far to be problematic. Minutes later we were with family and friends enjoying the bustling vision of unified and respectful celebration carried out by masses of people as our friend carried the torch at some speed down towards Deerpark Road. An impressive and humbling community led spectacle.
After this admirable melee we headed off on foot to the car and Wee Keefy and Carlos and Chala and I visited the Cow and Calf, Skew Hill Lane, Grenoside, eschewing the limited allure of the Clan rally emporium of racism which is the Norfolk Arms (or was last year, May 2011).
The Cow and Calf was surprisingly quiet for a warm sunny June evening and we were soon enjoying pints of inexpensive tasty beer all round. Wee Keefy and I had a pint of the Bitter each, Chala a half and Carlos a pint of the Sam Smiths Taddy lager. My pint of bitter and half a lager came to £2.85. Which was nice.
We sat outside in the courtyard, some of us having been regulars in the 1980's as kids, and a good time was had by all.
Back into (towards...) town Wee Keefy dropped us at the Hallamshire House. Here Chala had a half of Versa and myself a pint of the excellent Pollards Milk Stout.Wee Keefy joined us and had a pint of the Thornbridge Black Harry which I had a pint of with an excellent half of Galaxia. Our final round included a half of Tzara for Chala and a pint of Black Harry for me.
the Galaxia was a lot better than I recall it in the Tap, having a lovely fruity flavour which took off the bite of the hops perfectly. The Chiron however, which I tasted before opting for the Galaxia, was grim. Odd dry fruitless hop and a herby aftertaste. Perhaps not.
We had to escape after this but these two visits were a welcome finish to a great day out celebrating Sheffield, and a couple of its pubs.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
today marks the day that I summoned up what little pride I had and fannied about in Parson Cross and Southey to watch a family friend carry the olympic torch to, er, the end of the road.
Getting there in the first place was purgatory - every twat boarding the bus seemed incapable of assuming that they may need to alter their route - having been blessed with thinking, we waited until we knew we were near Yew Lane (having checked the timetable earlier) and asked the driver, once, quickly, when we were nearby, how far he would go, which as he had exasperatedly explained to many other morons, he didn't know, and we'd have to wait and see where the route was closed when we were near (like what we were).
So, degree in understanding basic facts attained, we waited until Chaucer Avenue and then enquired if we could embark on a trip up Yew Lane, which we did, disembarking at what was alas the end of our friends route but still not too far to be problematic. Minutes later we were with family and friends enjoying the bustling vision of unified and respectful celebration carried out by masses of people as our friend carried the torch at some speed down towards Deerpark Road. An impressive and humbling community led spectacle.
After this admirable melee we headed off on foot to the car and Wee Keefy and Carlos and Chala and I visited the Cow and Calf, Skew Hill Lane, Grenoside, eschewing the limited allure of the Clan rally emporium of racism which is the Norfolk Arms (or was last year, May 2011).
The Cow and Calf was surprisingly quiet for a warm sunny June evening and we were soon enjoying pints of inexpensive tasty beer all round. Wee Keefy and I had a pint of the Bitter each, Chala a half and Carlos a pint of the Sam Smiths Taddy lager. My pint of bitter and half a lager came to £2.85. Which was nice.
We sat outside in the courtyard, some of us having been regulars in the 1980's as kids, and a good time was had by all.
Back into (towards...) town Wee Keefy dropped us at the Hallamshire House. Here Chala had a half of Versa and myself a pint of the excellent Pollards Milk Stout.Wee Keefy joined us and had a pint of the Thornbridge Black Harry which I had a pint of with an excellent half of Galaxia. Our final round included a half of Tzara for Chala and a pint of Black Harry for me.
the Galaxia was a lot better than I recall it in the Tap, having a lovely fruity flavour which took off the bite of the hops perfectly. The Chiron however, which I tasted before opting for the Galaxia, was grim. Odd dry fruitless hop and a herby aftertaste. Perhaps not.
We had to escape after this but these two visits were a welcome finish to a great day out celebrating Sheffield, and a couple of its pubs.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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