April 2025. Sheffield.
Mrs RM was in full “am blogging, don’t disturb me” mode last Thursday so couldn’t accompany me on my calorie burning walk into town to check out a new Bass tip.
The refurbished Foresters had a turned round pump clip that day, turning it round as soon as I’d gone past, to Andy’s delight.
The Foresters would have been a great place for a posh lunch to restore those 63 calories burn off walking up Vicar Lane, but luckily alternative sustenance is available yards away on Division Street.
As you see, loads of bars in central Sheffield, but Hebden’s Vocation has the massive benefit of actually being open when many places (even Brew Dog across the road) are shut, being a rare place for lunchtime grub that isn’t a food court, and having a picture of a turtle on a scooter on the wall.
Four Vocation bars, the ones in Halifax, Manchester and here in Sheffield in the Guide; the Hebden flagship oddly not.
Rather like Track or Cloudwater, Vocation’s cask has seemed the weakest link compared to the keg martini sours and mint cocoa stout; always an NBSS 3, rarely a 4.
So I lazily went “Life and Death burger and pint of Life and Death on keg please“.
It’s always “smashed burgers” now, isn’t it ? Average but satisfyingly messy.
A quiet Tuesday lunchtime, the only trade blokes on their own working through halves of the weird stuff. I remember halves.
As you’ll see from the photo above, I went back for more, a pint of the Vocation X Sureshot collaboration pale. It’s all “collaboration” now, isn’t it ?
The cask was stunning, cool and fresh, the best I’ve had in a Vocation place (NBSS 4). But the star was the keg white stout and raspberry stout, seen here expertly decanted into the dregs of the pint glass. And it smelt sensational; someone should write about scoring beer by smell.
Oh, and the soundtrack, an hour of Lady Gaga and Nicky Minaj and Gracie, was somehow naff and wonderful at the same time.
And then it all went wrong…
…as I felt the siren call of the pancakes in Cambridge Street Collective.
I thought about asking ChatGPT how many calories were in that bowl but sometimes you don’t want to read the Truth, do you ?
retiredmartin 
We didn’t make it to Vocation Halifax last weekend. We’ll probably do Hebden Bridge next time we’re up at my brother’s.
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When I were a lad being told thee’d got a Vocation meant not to expect a proper pay packet.
I doubt it’s any better now.
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I think I’ve found my vocation, Paul.
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