April 2026. Sheffield.
I did get back from Retford, eventually, and arriving in Sheffield at 10 to 5 gave me a rare chance of a seat and tea with Mrs RM in the Rutland.
I gave my dearest an hour’s notice, so she’d only be half an hour late, and picked the seat closest to the jukebox so I could be deafened by the 1980 heavy metal choices.
Someone mentioned that no-one actually puts money in the jukebox, so you’ll get Bucks Fizz rotated with Box Tops, but the leather jackets and NWOBHM soundtrack suggested a leather jacketed takeover.
A nice easy 6.2% ESB while I wait.
Tasty but a tad thin, if I’m honest (3+), but I was really here for what in the past has been the best pub food, anywhere.
Perhaps it seemed a bit more pub grub tonight; loaded chips, burgers, sandwiches. Ballast, in fact.
Fearing an early night for the chef on Bank Holiday Monday, or the one I wanted running out, I ordered for Mrs RM, who turns up as Judas Priest gives way to Iron Maiden, and finds her braised beef cheek arriving just as she sits down and says “Where’s my beer ?”.
Actually, she wants my burger. In cricket, we’d call it a good toss to lose. I’d chose the burger, but the beef cheek on chips is as good as it gets.
We share the inevitable 8% DIPA,
and leave as someone put on “She Sells Sanctuary” for a SECOND time.
retiredmartin 
Finally a pub. I was getting thirsty for you.
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I’d just had two pints in Retford, Dave ! Do you only read every third post ? (wouldn’t blame you).
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“Ballast” means the same as “blotting paper”.
That’s how wonderful the English language is.
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I still see some older CAMRA members refer to the pub meal as blotting paper in the branch magazines !
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How much time do you think we spend reading your blog?
And where’s Russ to share some of our workload?
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Where is Russ ?
Does anyone know where Canada is ? We should send a search party.
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Is it part of Greenland, now? Or possibly Denmark.
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Learnt something from you post (and no, not about Andrew, we all know that). This: “Ballast in food refers to dietary components, primarily fibres, that are not digested by human digestive enzymes. These materials pass through the digestive tract largely unchanged, aiding digestion, promoting satiety, and assisting in the removal of metabolic waste. They act as a filler that adds volume rather than calories or nutrients.
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Good research, Lana. I sensed it wasn’t going to be good !
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Love everything about this post apart from 4:50pm being written as “10 to 5”.
Great pub, good food menu, quirky bar decorations, heavy metal (of course you need She Sells Sanctuary twice!), and your ESB looks stunning.
Need to get myself back to Sheffield.
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Sorry Nick “ten to 5”.
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