22nd October 2025. Sheffield.
“What’s new in Sheffield ?” ask folk heading over for one of the UK’s top pub crawls.
Well, lots of new buildings, mainly food courts and flats,
but not a lot of new pubs, outside the odd sports bar and a flashy European beer house, and this years two new entries are both micropubs that have been open a while.
So great fanfare (and a bit of scepticism, see 2nd pic) greeted the arrival of Sheffield’s own Thornbridge flagship bang in the town centre in the old Yorkshire Bank building, following Leeds’s Bankers Cat, York’s Market Cat and Birmingham’s “Not you, BRAPA“.
That was the scene at 11am this morning, before the queues started for noon opening. I have no idea how Thornbridge got it from looking like a shell a month ago to the gorgeous pub it is now in 2 months, so congratulations to their tradesman, who deserve a pint of Jaipur.
The noon opening was a slightly confused affair, with assorted building tools still in evidence and no grand cutting of the ribbon, but I made sure I had the first Jaipur before the vertical queue formed.
“The first pint, Retired Martin, surely the 3rd is best ?“.
Indeed, but by 12:20 the pump was turned round so be glad I did get there first, and can confirm that this was, indeed, the sort of cool, chewy, pint where you’d go “Mmm, try this Mrs RM, this is the height of the brewers art“, except Mrs RM would have had, and finished, her own pint.
The Old Boy next to me on the plush bench seats was humming along to The Doors deep cuts.
He was from Banner Cross in Sheffield’s upmarket western edge, and reckoned the city centre needed a smart and comfortable (he emphasises comfortable) pub like the Fargate.
Never judge a pub on opening night, but I think this will appeal to shoppers and Old Boys and Mrs RM, though whether Sheffield needs another pizza oven is a different matter.
But never, NEVER, take cask this good for granted, folks.
retiredmartin 
Quite a beautiful looking place. Wonder if the sceptics will like it.
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High quality finish and beer. Thornbridge seem universally liked (unless you don’t like the beer styles).
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I was in at about 4:30 so it may have been the second or third barrel of Jaipur. I thought it was a bit fresh, with that slightly sherbet-y edge to it that you like and I not so much, though I’m more prepared to tolerate it than I used to be. It’s usually better than this at the Hallamshire House and of course at the Sheffield Tap too. I assume £5 a pint was an introductory price.
I reckon Thornbridge are better at running this sort of pub – like those in Leeds and York that you mention – than pubs like the Bath Hotel which already had a character of its that they tried and failed to subdue with their own design.
I’ll be interested to call in again after a couple of weeks. (Photos on Pubs Galore: https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/92929/)
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Your second paragraph is spot-on, Will.
My Jaipur was an immaculate 4.5, so I will have to dispatch Mrs RM to make a final decision.
Incidentally, I have mixed views of Thornbridge, which as you’ll know is an anagram of “Performative”, pretending to save Kelham Island and making great fuss about those Unions which don’t seem to be producing much actual beer. But as a pub operator, top notch.
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Can NBSS 4.5 be immaculate when the National Beer Scoring System has a top mark of 5? Answers on a new thread on that Discourse, not here. Don’t want to sully your immaculate blog!
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Yes, it could be immaculate without having the flake in it that would elevate it to a 5.
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No wonder you score so few 5s!
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“So great fanfare (and a bit of scepticism, see 2nd pic) ”
Blimey. Folks are so opinionated these days.
“and Birmingham’s “Not you, BRAPA“.
(quickly checked out the link)
Surely Si could have said he identified as a woman? Lord knows he goes on and on about his ailments enough times to qualify.
“so congratulations to their tradesman, who deserve a pint of Jaipur.”
One of these days I’ll have a pint of that.
““The first pint, Retired Martin, surely the 3rd is best ?“.”
Are we talking 3rd from the tap or 3rd for the person?
“and can confirm that this was, indeed, the sort of cool, chewy, pint where you’d go “Mmm, try this Mrs RM, this is the height of the brewers art“,”
I am somewhat jealous at this point.
“The Old Boy next to me on the plush bench seats was humming along to The Doors deep cuts.”
How many pints had he had?
“Never judge a pub on opening night,”
Or even high noon!
“though whether Sheffield needs another pizza oven is a different matter.”
What, no Hawaiian?
“But never, NEVER, take cask this good for granted, folks.”
I’m of the opinion the phrase ‘never take (insert word here) for granted is more appropriate than ever.
Cheers
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The third pint pulled is always the best Russ.
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Good to know.
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I see that some wags refer to the CEO of Reform PLC as “Fartage”.
I did a double take for a moment.
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Got to say the Fargate looks fabulous. Jaipur my goto pint of cask and with the hallmark fit out that makes the Bankers Cat in Leeds such a good addition to the Leeds scene.
I am in Sheffield on Wednesday (29/10), might pop in at lunchtime. Only seems to be a 5 minute walk from the office.
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“Never judge a pub on opening night” reminds me of a massive 1990 refurbishment on Stafford, everything new but overlooking flushing water through the lines meant the cask beer not drinking at all well.
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Cleaning the lines will always be more important than the choice of beer or number of pumps.
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