Pub 75, Day 29 – The Sherwood

It's time to treat you, our lucky readers, to another guest blog. This time, helping us to celebrate our 75th pub, the contributor in question is Rob's youngest sister, Reanna. Making her Pubquest debut at the age of eighteen – that magnificent age when the world of (legal) pub-going is opened up – she is here to share her experience.

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By Reanna

It was a day like any other, or so it seemed. As I awoke that morning, little did I know what adventures lay ahead of me.

As had become tradition, my sister Beki and myself visited my grandmother’s house every week for lunch. We would then while away the hours with idle chatter, watching reruns of Murder She Wrote until, eventually, we would venture out to have our dinner at The Sherwood pub. This had been the routine, once a week, every week, for the past five years; so I could be forgiven for not realising that this day would be any different.

Oh, but different it was, because on that fateful taxi ride from my grandmother's front door to the pub, I received a text message – one word that filled me with excitement, one word that would change the course of the evening completely:

Pubquest?

I was aware of my brother and Andrew’s mission – to visit every pub in Sheffield; a goal I had doubted more than once. I had never imagined I would become a part of it, eternalised in the legend that is Sheffield Pubquest.

I replied with speed, confirming my attendance and informing him of the time we usually finished our meal. Once the food was eaten, my grandmother and sister politely declined the invitation to remain with me and await the boys' arrival, and so I was left waiting alone for Robert and Andrew who were, unsurprisingly, late.

The Sherwood is a pub belonging to the Hungry Horse chain and can be found in Frecheville, along Birley Moor Road. It is a funny sort of building, which would look more at home in a seaside town than on the side of a main road, across from a Co-op and a row of takeaways. It has a large car park and plenty of outside seating for those who like their beer with added rain water, or their food with a side order of flies.

Inside, it is exactly how one might imagine a chain pub – trendy(ish) and, arguably, aimed at those on a budget. The main seating area, which is open to families, is large with plenty of tables and they even have comfy, if slightly worn, booths with small televisions set into the wall, designed to keep the children entertained (although the TVs are muted and without subtitles, so the level of entertainment provided is questionable). There are crayons, puzzle sheets and balloons available and, for whatever reason, a couple of those “play ‘til you win” grabber machines by the toilets. Needless to say, I knew we wouldn't be sitting in this side of the pub...

The other side of the pub, meanwhile, is dedicated to over-18s only. It has the usual row of bandits along the wall, a couple of pool tables and a big screen they bring out for especially exciting sports games.

I also feel as though I ought to mention the cuisine, as it's usually the reason for my visiting The Sherwood (although food is not, I understand, the focus of Pubquest). The range of the menu is decent enough, with the usual pub food and a few ‘fancy’ extras thrown in. The quality of the food is average, although considering the low price you pay it is certainly nothing to complain over. Generally speaking, it is much like you would find in a Wetherspoons, or any other budget chain pub.

Once the pair finally arrived, swaggering in with the ego of two men who run a blog nobody reads, we relocated to the adults' section, nabbing the table closest to the bar. Robert and Andrew carefully scoured the drinks menu, searching for something they had not already had at one of their previous jaunts. The range of drinks on offer was much to be expected, with a few real ales thrown in alongside the usual lagers and beers.

The pub also offered a range of cocktail pitchers, all of which were greatly overpriced. I am still unsure as to why a chain pub that is nowhere near the city centre offers such a wide range of shots and drinks deals, but the service is usually quick and the staff are mostly friendly, so I will let that slide.

Deciding on a pint of Abbot Ale for themselves, and a bottle of Bulmers for myself (which Andrew so graciously bought for me), we sat down and planned for the night ahead.

Overall, The Sherwood is a perfectly acceptable pub and certainly one of the better ones in the area, being ideal for families and low-budget group meals.

As a regular, I feel I have to award it a respectable 6/10 – although that is, perhaps, a little generous.

***

While we appreciate Reanna's enthusiasm over here at Pubquest HQ, I must point out that she's vastly overreached by assuming that she – a guest contributor – is permitted to award an official rating to a pub. Therefore, we have voided and rescinded her rating, as it does not represent the official position of Pubquest.

After much discussion, we have instead awarded The Sherwood an Official Pubquest Rating of 6/10. 

Pub: The Sherwood (67 Birley Moor Road, S12 4WG)

Rating: 6/10

Pint: Abbot Ale

Brewery: Greene King Brewery (Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk)

NEXT UP: Disgusting toilets, at The Birley...