Feather Star Wirksworth - now at the Red Lion

 Evening readers,

      its sad to say that I only two weeks or so ago found out that the fabulous micropub, the Feather Star, in a tiny former antiques shop on St John's Street in the market place, Wirksworth, had in fact, closed down. Wee Keefy was in Wirksworth doing one of the 4 local circular walks, and said that on trying to find a place for a drink, many places had been shut but the former Feather Star micropub had since become a cake shop or similar. I told him, of course, that he was being ridiculous - since I followed the Feather Star on Friendache. But a quick search online proved that the owners had purchased the former Red Lion market place pub, and were selling a wide range of real ales along with fabulous keg from the future. More woe my Friendache checking! Of course -  I had to visit......

Following our own, admittedly sodden walk, along another Wirksworth based circular walk, we quickly spotted the pub which may be the Hope and Anchor, and then the Blacks Head, before spotting the thankfully open Feather Star, and it's sign, outside the entrance to the Red Lion. Straight away hearing music, and reading the sign, we worked out quickly that they had a brass (instrument) band of 3 blokes next to the bar - and the pub was rammed.

Carefully reaching the bar there were a range of 5 cask from the past on the bar - which I have to say both the beers and settings looked amazing - along with 5 kegs from the future. WK had a low gravity Buxton stout on keg and I had a half of the fabulous Cloudwater Barn in Edale Valley, a wonderful DDH IPA or similar, and in absolutely excellent condition. We then decided to sit outside in the now sunny and dry outdoors, and took off our sopping coats and looked at the view.

Outside there was seating for about 40 people, probably more, on tables and under two covers, and as we admired the view w also admired the fab beers we had bought. I had already tried a glass of the barn in Edale valley in can earlier in the month and remembered I had really liked it - strangely on this occasion it may even have tasted nicer on draught? Either way it didn't take long to sup - so leaving Wee Keefy in the baking sunshine I popped back inside to get a pint of Shiny Cloudy session IPA on cask.

Its a shame to admit but as the pub was so busy, I couldn't see if there was a third room inside, or see what was behind the bar area - I also got chatting to the lovely Jo behind the bar - both when placing my order and also when she popped outside under cover later. When I went back out with my pint it was tipping it down and I found WK sheltering under the covering, sat near what looked like a former settee/chaise lounge or similar, which may have been at the Black bulls Head, Openwoodgate. I have nothing to back this up however.

Jo told me that other Jo and her business partner had closed in December or January 2021 and bought the lease of the Red Lion in May 2021. Recently it had been service outside only whilst they tided up and cleaned the inside of the pub. Puzzlingly if you go on both the Feather Star and then teh Red Lion details on Whatpub it says on th Feather Star that they have taken over the Red Lion - but then on the page for the Red Lion tells that the pub was currently up for sale.

Sadly we only had chance to stop for one - or two in my case - of the selection of beers at the Red Lion, but I have to say that I absolutely loved it! Its somewhere I would like to go back to with Tash next month if possible - the cask range was very good in being reflective of locally brewed cloudy beers along with slightly more traditional Mallinsons and Shiny offerings - not that am saying both of the Shiny or the Mallinsons would have not been cloudy...

So having only recently discovered that the "old" Feather Star had sadly closed, am now very happy to report that the "new" Feather Star has now reopened at the Red Lion. They have an outside area for ordering food but as far as I am aware you can now eat inside - alas I never got to check that since neither me or WK were planning on stopping for scran!

Wishing Jo and Jo and the others others all of the very best for the future.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Micro

Hello all,

  I wanted to write today about Sheffield's Micropubs.

The first I knew of  ( in the UK) was in Kent. It was called the Butchers and was, am guessing, set in a former Butchers shop. It was definitely in Kent. And it could (probably) seat 3 people. It was open half an hour every week by appointment only, and had a pin to last that whole session.

OK, I made much of the above up. I have, after all, never been there. The first one I went to was the Little Chesters  Ale House in that there Derby. I really enjoyed it. I was surprised, however, that there was nothing similar in Sheffield.

In late 2013 or a similar sounding year the Crookes Ale House was,  to my mind, Sheffield's first pop[ up pub. I knew very little about ir and even after a description of its location I struggled to find it. I went in with Carlos the first time and Angie and Jackie and other peeps the second. I bought a bottle f the Courage Imperial stout which I may possibly still have, and loved it. Local ale was on stillage, and it opened for six days or less.

The next year this became the Walkley Beer Co. I didn't visit until my 40th birthday and I tried my specially brewe (well, dry hopped version at least) birthday ale, and spoke to Josh and Christy and Kit. The pub later or already had a permanent license and I have been going in ever since.

Tonight I had two pints, the Cromarty Brewing Rogue Wave IPA at 5.9%, a hoppy pale, and the 6.9% Wild Madness IPA. I saw Rob, Dan and the gent whose name I can't remember,. as well as Rhod and Kit and Imogen and a guy called Pete. The atmosphere and ale was as always, excellent.

I just wanted to say well done to the shop, or rather micro pub, and all Sheffield's others. Because its a fine feature of Sheffield watering holes that your service and range is required, and whats more very much appreciated.

As the beer capital of the UK, I am not surprised that Sheffield can support 6 micropubs!

With warmest regards


Sir Beefalot

Bar-stewards

Merry Chrissmuss yall!

     
         the title of this post is perhaps a little risky - although pertinent, I appear to have locally garnered a reputation for being some sort of criticism monkey, living in a tree of moaning in a forest of malcontent. So to make clear now, this isn't a polite way of saying Bastards. Its a way of saying Bar Stewards, but making it one word. You may not have noticed, but I am trying to stick to single word post titles this month, in order to be more punchy and, um,  rad, fo the yoot. I am quite old by the way....

Anyway, the Bar Stewards is Sheffield;s latest pop up pub - this claim is made on the basis of a lack of information about the Pub Inn which opened after I had already formulated the text for this post. So nehrrr.

Its on Gibraltar Street across from Shakespeares and is run by Al and another gentleman, who will have one of many thousand male human names, probably with an I in it. I dunno, Richard, Michael?

The pair have done a good job sprucing up the empty retail unit and have a bar with four handpumps and possibly some sort of keg dispense, with a well socked fridge behind with bottles and cans inside. There is also a snazzy toilet, and comfortable seating throughout. I have been in three times now and enjoyed each one, the first by myself, once with the lovely Kati and once with Mr Grant and Hux's friend whose name I have since forgotten. On that occasion the real ales on offer were Wild Millionaire stout, Tiny Rebel Cwtch, North Riding Mosaic Pale and Fyne Ales Jarl. The North Riding and Fyne were tried and both were on good form.

I understand the idea is to get a permanent license and open full time sometime in the future - it is rumoured there has been much red tape to leap over and clamber through which may be retarding progress. I do hope for their sake's they get a permanent license - the bar does feel just like a pub now (if that makes sense) and especially in December, when the wonderful Shakespeares is packed to the rafters, its often a little quieter in the Bar stewards.

One question you may ask is - does Sheffield really need another ale venue? The answer is - yes. Of course. Not just because one has recently closed either, but because all venues have their own unique atmosphere and offer their own brand of hospitality. If the nearby (ish) Pub Inn becomes permanent there will be six Micropubs in Sheffield and what that does is increase choice for consumers, which has to be a good thing.

In addition to the cask and bottles and cans they also sell wine and possibly spirits and crisps, and Mr Rich was there doing a quiz on Wednesday last so this may take off as a regular feature. Whats more, Bar Stewards is the perfect place to undertake support for Drinkuary, which I expect all of you to be involved in through the dark joyless January ahead.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Sheffield's newest Micropub....

....is opening this evening, across from Shakespeares, if what Neepsend Rich told me is true - and why wouldn't it be? In the hours before that however, Sheffield's newest Micropub opened about 5 weeks ago and is the Itchy Pig on Glossop Road in Broomhill. That was where I was last night. That was where I met Neepsend Rich. That was my second visit.

I don't actually know, or more likely can't remember, what the pub used to be - I mean a shop, obviously, but not what type. The pub is small, it is a micropub after all, and seats about 18 people, with room to stand. Friday night you have to be patient to get a seat - I started off at the bar supping my excellent pint of Neepsend Snapshot talking to Rich, before spotting an end seat on the small table on the right.

The pub has 5 handpumps selling 4 real ales and 1 cider along with 4 or 5 keg lines including Curious Brew, Abbeydale Heathen and guests like Brew Foundation. The pub sells, in packet and in pints, 7 different styles of pork scratchings and has a deal with the Pizza shop round the corner, possibly called Roots, who  you can order pizza from to eat in the pub. The atmosphere is noisy, mainly due to high ceiling and hard surfaces, the bar is homemade (and has a coin under perspex top) and the decorations are subtle and beer or alcohol related. Its very much a micro pub.

The pub was very busy last night and two yoot came in - am guessing they were students, and immediately took their beer outside. The owner went after them to say they couldn't, and they sat down next to me with a giant bag of Sainsburys salt and vinegar stick crisps, which they started to eat whilst they supped their beer. The owner, whose name I have obviously forgotten, said "thats a bit cheeky, eating your own crisps" and asked them not to. Thereafter, the world's most boring man moaned about this for 45 miunutes to his hopefully deaf female friend. Apparently he hadn't heard the word cheeky since 2007 (?) and there wasn't a sign saying you couldn't eat your own food, and that he didn't see why the guy couldn't have just said don't eat your own food in here.

Now I've only been drinking for 25 years but I have known only two pubs where you could bring your own food, and that was advertised clearly as you entered. Everywhere else I would expect, especially since they serve their own snacks, that you couldn't eat your own. The funniest thing he said was "and its really expensive". I nearly said " try the York - where you definitely can't eat your own food". Anyway, the mindless chuntering of mewling children aside this was a great visit, and  I had another pint of the Sharpshooter and a half of the Brew Foundation to finish.  The bus 120 stops virtually outside and you can catch the 51, 52 or 52a to stops nearby. Give it a try!

By way of comparison I caught the 52 next and got off near South Road to visit the Walkley Beer Co - Sheffield's first Micropub. An excellent range of ales was available as always, and I had a pint or two of the Buxton Axe Edge pale on keg at £4.90 a pint. It as on impeccable form, and went down,  being about 6.5%, far too easily. Was good to chat to Dan and Mr Ransomne, and also to see Kit for the first visit in a while. The Walkley Beer Co is possibly smaller than the Pig, but is a wonderful place to visit to drink great real ale, take bottled beers out, buy brewing ingredients or books, and mainly to be part of the Walkley Beer Co community.

Best of luck to all the above - including the one which may open in 70 minutes time. More excellent reasons to drink real ale in Sheffield.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Portland House Micropub

Hello,

      on Wednesday I was invited to the soft launch of the new Micropub in Sheffield on Ecclesall Road. I was invited by Tom who worked at the University Arms for six years - I claim to have only just fund out that he is called Tom. This is a recurrent theme in this and most other posts.

The Portland House micropub is at 288 Ecclesall Road in a former Cooplands shop just up from the Nursery Tavern. I can tell you from personal experience that its a good ten minute walk up Ecclesall Road to the Beer House, Sheffield's second Micropub. The Portland has a more modern interior and settees at one end, with benches and chairs and modern tables - one thing I was asked to point out was that the table we sat at was wonky - I hope that's not the floor!

On the first night they Had Henrietta, Portland Black, Red Feather and Harley on from Welbeck Abbey and Saltaire Citra, and Arbor Half Day IPA on as guests on cask, with Wild Fresh on keg at £4.50 a pint. Tom tells me there's a keg of magic Rock in the cellar and other delights awaiting, which is good for me, since I do like a hoppy beer. However, what I do like about the pub is that it admits that not everyone likes a strenuously hoppy beer, so the Welbeck are the more traditional beers with the guests providing the hops.

The first pint was Henrietta for me and this was interesting - I personally think Welbeck are much less hoppy and punchy with their beers now, and this was a great example - a pleasant soft pale with little hop bite - is not how I remember Henrietta. The second pint was of Arbor Half Day IPA - this was more of a red ale than a pale but was very pleasant, if not actually very IPA-y, which is a word.

The pub will also serve food and at the moment they have pork pies and pork and black pudding pies from Wateralls as well as meats and cheese and breads from Welbeck Abbey producers. The olives and sour dough and olive bread on the first night were excellent - I can, assuming these are from the same, see myself popping in for a bite to eat once the food gets off the ground.

I bumped into Nick Wheat and Andy C whilst there - Nick is someone I have known, but never met, for a few years. He was there with his Dad who runs an architects firm nearby - it was he who asked me to mention the table. It was interesting to meet and talk to Wheaty and his Dad and to Andy and Tom - good to catch up with Sheffield beer news.

Bt comparison, after my visit I went up to the Beer House. It was rammed, with Mr Hough doing the quiz. I had a few pints of a lovely hoppy ale which has unfortunately slipped form my memory, and I got sat with Ben and Paula who I impeded in the completion of the quiz. Two thoroughly lovely people who kindly paid off the tab I accidentally created when I discovered the Beer House doesn't have a card machine - the Portland House does!

Sheffield now has three micropubs and all are different in subtle ways. Am looking forward to revisiting all of them, including Walkley Beer Co, sometime in November. Best of luck to Tom and his team and Welbeck Abbey Brewery with Portland House as well.


Cheers!

Wee Beefy