Well, I survived IndyMan for another year, thanks to the company of John from Donny and a lovely young couple from Stockport (yes, there are young people in Stockport).
I bet you can’t wait for my detailed tasting notes for all those awesome beers.
But first, more Proper Pubs from last week’s Sheffield saunter.
I thought I knew Sheffield, but I don’t. Loads of little streets between the northern ring road and West Street, all with traces of industry and plenty with gorgeous traditional pubs.
The Red Deer is the gem around here, but I reckon the Dog & Partridge is almost as alluring. How could you walk past, anyway ? Mind you, what were you doing in Trippet Lane in the first place.
An unpretentious cask beer range in the west Sheffield style. Hard to look past the Barnsley, isn’t it ? Unless you’ve spotted the Thornbridge keg.
A choice of seating, some within earshot of mature students discussing role play over cheesy chips, and some perched among the couples.
So quite why I chose to sit on a high table near the bar, I have no idea. Perhaps it was to record cask sales (one), perhaps to hear two blokes from Antrim talk nonsense*, or maybe just to see the Premiership results come in.
City won 2-0, “Maneater**” and “Valerie” and “Hard to Beat” played, all was well with the world.
Well, almost. The Stancil was on the cusp of decent (NBSS 2.5), not surprising when one pint is pulled in 15 minutes. This is the sort of pub where that 6.8% drop in cask is really evident.
Still, it’s a better pub than you’ll get in half the towns in the UK.
*Apparently, West Wycombe is the most racist place in Britain.
**No, not that one.
retiredmartin 
I was noticing how little of Sheffield I had seen based on your last few posts. None of this looks familiar and it all looks great. These neighborhoods really look interesting. The pub looks fabulous.
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I was surprised how much was new too, Dave. You do the Valley of Beer and a few to the west and south and think you’ve done it all. Getting 3 new GBG pubs within the central ring road was a surprise. I’d never seen the Dog & Partridge before. Next post more familiar !
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Sheffield would make a good base on a future trip. I really do enjoy the pubs in that area.
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Are Thornbridge managing to be the sheffield equivalent of Brewdog and getting their keg into most of the local bars?
Nice to see the jam jar to show what colour stout is.
Surely a young couple from Stockport would be recently retired?
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It was probably Bramhall rather than Stockport. They actually told me they were “from Manchester” before I pinned them down to an actual street, at which point they left.
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Oh yes, more Thornbridge than Punk IPA, for sure.
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I’m really interested in exploring that mainstream v interesting beers; mainstream v proper craft; and does mainstream cask drive ‘interesting beers’. You’ve probably seen conversations on Twitter. I think there is a real polarity developing e.g Cricketers & spoons in Worcs. v the other more interesting pubs and most people drinking Doom Bar and mainstream products in the mainstream v not drinking much at all in the other pubs. Hence 6.8% drop?
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I’ve just realised that some beer festivals are now open more hours annually then certain GBG entries. Perhaps time to have a swap?
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Crikey!
Turn up for a Wycombe Wanderers game, and you’ll see just how silly the fellow was when slagging off West Wycombe.
And the area isn’t exactly short of good boosters, with good booze!
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Yes, weird. Wanderers a friendly club and Wycombe well down my list of objectionable places. Odd what you hear in pubs.
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I reckon that first hard-fi album is criminally underrated… hard to beat is a classic…great pub pictures
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