The Malt TravAle Podcast
Episode 14
Sheffield Steel City
In our opening discussion we covered a few places we had been over the last couple of weeks
Buxton
Buxton Brewery Pop Up Tap, Staden Business Park (look for the Aquatics supermarket and look left) – unable to open the original brewery tap in the town – though this now called 53 degrees at Buxton Brewery Tap House (old building not allowing much social distancing – Now reopen) the brewery utilised the green space across from the brewer – huge Marquee plus a smaller on and lots of table – with a pop up bar house in a container – normally 2 street food vendors on site as well – looks like this venue is going to continue running at least at weekend – check out their facebook pages for updates and latest new/which food vendors are on
Bakewell
Thornbridge Brewery Tap. Riverside Estate, Buxton Road
Ever expanding brewery – the tap house had moved since Nick and I last visited – they had utilised a large open area between the canning line end of the main brewery building and the new Tap (this has now been reduced with most action in the very large ‘industrial’ bar area that also includes the Brewery shop and Pizza Ovens – always a fantastic range of beers on and good atmosphere though again you are drinking in an industrial estate (though this one does have a few heritage buildings to help with the ambience though a lot of development going on)
York
The Fox, Holgate Road – a regular mention on the podcast as its one of Bruce’s locals – Ossett Brewery house with reputedly York biggest beer garden – also a blue plaque heritage inn – Sam Smiths Crystal Palace just a bit further down Holgate towards the city centre, also worth a visit if you are in this part of York.
Malton (more precisely Old Malton)
The Royal Oak, Town Street, Old Malton – just opposite the river and 12th Century Priory – cracking little pub – always 3 good beers and Landlord Steve who hails from South Africa (via Jersey) puts his own spin on the menu. One of Nick’s regulars we like what was the old snug bar as you go in on the right (though this ha snow been knocked through and the bar moved to left rear of the pub – nice cosy outside area at the rear of the pub. Useful free carpark opposite pub that many stealth campervanners tend to use so often some interesting folk to chat to in the pub.
Sheffield
Gone through a phoenix like rise in recent years – we like to think that we were there at the start Nick talks about venturing to the Fat Cat when Kelham Island was a long way from the hipster buzzing post industrial caldron of food and drink it is now – some many great pubs and breweries to mention I had given the Nick the challenge of just choosing 10 so these are his choices (Nick did his degree at Sheffield Hallam in the 90’s)
Sheffield Tap, Platform 1b Sheffield Station – fantastic building the old 1st Class Refreshment Room now in the CAMRA national Inventory – on site Tapped brewery plus a big range of other beers claim to offer over 2oo ‘foreign beers’ as well.
Old Queens Head, Pond Hill Sheffield oldest building? – a former Hunting lodge Grade 2 listed – a Thwaites house but a range of local breweries feature – adjacent to Bus station so a lot of shopping trolleys and characters!
Three Tuns, Silver Street Head – Triangular shaped pubs – we talk a lot about these in the podcasts – good range of beers try and get a seat in the fantastic window seat in the pointy end of the triangle – 400 years of history a pub of character.
Shakepseares Ale & Cider House, Gibraltar Street - on the way to (and back from) Kelham Island another Sheff legend – cobbled beer garden
Fat Cat, Alma Street – The Birth place of the Sheffield beer scene still well worth the slog out from the city centre (We did visit many moons ago when it was called the Alma) – yet another historic pub interior – tends to have a more national range of fantastic beers than other Kelham pubs
Kelham Island Tavern, Russell Street, Tavern multi awarded boxer 12 handpumps, 2 roomed nice little sun trap out the front on the Kelham route so can get busy at weekends – though there is some much choice round here these days can usually get a seat rather than drink in the road as we have done in the good old days!
The Grapes (Flynns) Trippet Lane – What’s Pub opening description sums it up well - Centred around a tiled corridor drinking area – was originally a Thomas Rawson Brewery House – look out for the TR&Co logo in some of the windows – often feature Abbeydale beers and lots of Irish/folk music nights
Duck and Partridge, Trippet lane multi roomed typical town boozer, always have a local Abbeydale on cask and reputedly the best Guinness in town – another Sheff pub in the CAMRA national Inventory – central snug worth a visit and look at for the Bell pushes – Table service was a thing before Covid!
Brown Bear. Norfolk Street – one of the few Sam Smiths pub in the city – very close to theatres/cultural centre of Sheff – most reviews suggest it’s a proper old school boozer.
Head of Steam, Norfolk Street – former Bank now one of Cameron’s growing estate – large room with a lot of outdoor seating too- as with this chain, normally a huge range of beers and knowledgeable staff. If using Station, just be aware that this is a short distance away from the station (Google says 9 minute walk)