retiredmartin

January 2026. Waverley. Rotherham.

“What’s new and shiny in Sheff ?” is the Eternal Question asked by beery tourists, and truth is the central “scene” (ugh) has settled down a bit since the Old Shoe, though we’ve now got an upmarket Thornbridge pub and a flashy continental beer bar, so perhaps it’s time for a Brew York now Brew Dog have upped and gone ?

Loads of potential for neighbourhood micros, though, and Waverley’s Olive Lane near the Orgreave mines is a smart pedestrianised street, perfect for bistros and craft bars.

Loads of positive reports about the Canary,

a million miles from your view of a micro formed in Thanet or Sidcup.

Some of these neighbourhood bars have what CAMRA folk would see as fairly uninspiring cask beers, here you get offered tasters on the craft, a couple of Verdants (makes a change from keg Light Bulb),

and an impressive range of non-alcoholic cans for Mrs RM, who actually managed 30 dry days in January, only going off the wagon spectacularly that day in St Annes.

Remiscent of the spacious craft place in Northstowe, another emerging new town,

and with a Motown soundtrack pumping out at exactly the right volume, it was high quality throughout, the Verdant Best Bitter a chewy NBSS 4.

If only you didn’t need to take a bus from Sheffield Interchange to get there.