December 2023. Ulley. Rotherham.
The nights are getting shorter, Retired Martin is a year older, my reservoir of current blog material is now exhausted. Let’s hope I can get out today.
There is rebirth in Rotherham,
as Ulley’s Sam Smiths pub re-opened last Thursday after 4 long years looking for the right management couple.
Ulley is a pretty village tucked away underneath the arc of the M1, close to coal mines at Orgreave and modern industrial plants at Waverley. Smart village, renowned dining pub, or it was before Sam Smiths introduced that microwave menu.
A GBG regular in the 2000s, and one of the top Sam’s pubs in Yorkshire along with the Cow & Calf.
Thursday lunchtime just before Christmas, a bit of a soft opening as food restarts after Christmas, and it was heaving with life I can’t show you due to the “no modern technology” rule.
Luckily the (lovely & welcoming) landlords Pete and Lesley have some pics in Sheffield’s soaraway Star*.
We sat in that seat on the left and mock-tutted when the bloke next to us shot out as his mobile phone went off. In fairness he’d left the room in 0.7 seconds and apologised profusely on his return.
Loads of folk our age just out for a beer or wine, enjoying the return of their pub. Is 2024 the year Sam Smiths kick on with their re-opening ambitions ?
“This is the time I like to be in pubs” said Mrs RM. No, not a day with a “y” in it, the winter, when pubs are at their most cosy.
The OBB was GBG standard (3+), but the star was Mrs RM’s organic cherry fruit beer, startlingly smooth and rich. OK, it’s £6, but I’m sure it was more than that in Gloucester, never mind London, 5 years ago.
Sam Smiths own brand beef crisps in an un-shouty bag, noted Mrs RM, who likes un-shouty things.
The pub looks gorgeous; we’ll pop back for lunch in the new year.
But yesterday, we had to make do with Tim Horton’s less than fresh doughnuts and lukewarm coffee.
Blimey, Tim Horton’s have gone to pot quickly, haven’t they ?
*Yes, we really do say “Refurbisheded” in Yorkshire. Deal with it.
retiredmartin 
Wow, you’re on a roll today. Is a blogging splurge your birthday treat?
Sam’s do seem to have made an effort to reopen pubs this year, including the apparently unpromising Windmill at Carrington. But, oddly, they closed the Swan at Holmes Chapel a couple of months after they reopened it, and the Queen’s Head in Stockport and the Bird in Hand at Mobberley remain firmly shut.
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Confined to home last few days so catching up. Hate being behind on blog.
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Fruit beer for Mrs. RM? I thought she liked her beer to taste like beer?
Dock Southworth
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Ha. Yes she does.
I gave her the OBB but she rejected it. Sam Smiths fruit beers are fantastic. I think the American market like them.
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We do get most of the Sam Smiths’ bottled beers. Very good they are too. One of the better breweries when it comes to bottled beer. Love the stout. Nice to see my brother honoring old folk musicians with his name change.
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“Sam Smiths fruit beers are fantastic” but Humphrey’s got decades more experience than the brothers Bott.
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At nine pints Humphrey’s OBB comes thirteenth in the list of beers I’ve drunk the most of this year.
You might be able to guess four of my top five.
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Are they;
Brew York Fairytale of New York
Heineken 0.0
Websters Yorkshire Bitter
Westvleteren 8
Pastore Waterbeach Weisse ?
Is there a prize ?
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Yes, a prize for the best serious guess.
Four of my top five are quite easy.
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I’ll suggest Bass, Pedigree, Doom Bar and Landlord for four of the top five. You’ll have to post the full list on B&PF.
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“after 4 long years looking for the right management couple”
Be out on their ears when Humphrey pops in on one of his “unannounceds” and they haven’t got his favourite pudding on or something equally heinous.
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Be nice, it’s my birthday.
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Many Happy Returns Martin. Always feel like visiting a pub after reading your blog, sometimes I even manage it. Hope that you are spending your birthday gathering new material for us. Have a good day.
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Sadly the Brown Bear in central Sheffield closed last week. Another one been Humphreyd?
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Again ! It had only re-opened again a few months back !
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Over the years that I went to that pub 1990 – 2011, then less often, it had a recurring problem.
Its customers.
Maybe if the latest lot can get stuck to Wetherspoons, then there’ll be a point in its reopening.
Who knows?
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Yes, managing a pub would be so much easier if it wasn’t for those customers.
Just like buses might run on time if it wasn’t for those passengers.
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I agree those Sam Smith fruit beers are superb. I have seen them on sale at Total Wines in Boynton Beach, Florida.
Not sure about the Cow and Calf, it’s currently a Vintage Inn. May have been owned by Sam Smith at one time.
Robin
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Should have added “Grenoside” to Cow & Calf, Robin ! It’s been closed since the infamous alleged dessert incident.
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Happy birthday, Martin. But every day is Martin’s Day, isn’t it?
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As I always say, Dan.
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