It's
time for another guest blogger, as Andy's girlfriend Catriona is
forced to
gladly volunteers to pick up the pen.
By
Catriona
 |
| The life of a Pubquest WAG |
Well,
if our debut appearance at the Broomhill Tavern
didn’t give you enough insight into the life of a Pubquest WAG, I’m
here with my very own instalment featuring pub 133: The Norton.
It
was an early summer’s day in June 2017. Andy and I had spent the
afternoon enjoying one of our favourite summer traditions: The Dronfield Beer Festival.
Now,
Pubquest readers, if you read this blog every day you know one thing
for sure – this is a blog about pubs not about beer festivals, and
I don’t want my first entry to confuse that groundbreaking
editorial strategy the boys have spent so much time crafting… So
I’ll keep it short about Dronfield Beer Festival.
I’m
not a big fan of beer – which does make you wonder why I’m
writing for this blog at all – but the Dronfield Beer Festival is
about so much more than beer. Firstly, there is also cider.
There’s
also live music, street food and so far every time we’ve been –
sunshine. This is a combination which undoubtedly makes for a good
British summer’s day.
At
around 4pm, after Andy and I had enjoyed a couple of live
performances, a bite of lunch and a drink at each of the 13 pubs, Rob
finally rolled himself out of his student squalor and came to meet us
at the festival for some final pints.
As
things started quietening down in Dronfield we decided to keep the
party going back in Sheffield. Which is why ten minutes later we
found ourselves in the family-friendly Brewers Fayre-esque Norton pub
at Meadowhead. We can’t be tamed!
Now,
before Andy and Rob get sued for their Pubquest millions let me
quickly point out The Norton
is not owned by Brewers Fayre, it is a Sizzling Pubs establishment.
Other UK casual family pub dining options also exist.
The
reason we ended up in The Norton was simple. It was the closest
Sheffield pub to Dronfield, making it a good pitstop and a cheap taxi
ride between Dronfield and Sheffield City Centre, and allowed the boys
to tick off this pub while in the area.
I
know a recurrent qualm for Andy and Rob is the definition of what
makes a pub. A big question indeed. The Norton – billed on its
website as a ‘pub and grill’ – is, in my opinion, certainly one
that falls into that slightly grey area.
The
Champions League Final was on that day, which had brought a trickling
of middle-aged men to the bar area to watch the game. The rest of the
‘pub and grill’ was very much a family friendly dining area –
there was even a family party taking place across a host of reserved
tables in the restaurant area, and the scene was very reminiscent of
many of my own childhood family parties spent in almost identical
venues.
The
boys opted for a Coors Light, which tells even me – by no means a
beer connoisseur – that there wasn’t a particularly exciting
range of beers on offer. Meanwhile, I was pleased to have a break
from beer and opted for a glass of prosecco, although a sign for
‘Frosé’ –
frozen rosé wine –
also caught my eye.
We
headed to a round table with high stools in the small bar area –
not the most comfortable of seating options. The lighting was bright,
the football was loud, the atmosphere was flat (this may also have
been the case for the beers).
There
was nothing at all wrong with this ‘pub and grill’. It served
perfectly well the purpose it intended to serve.
A
fine place to pop out to if you live
locally and want a family meal that won’t break the bank, a place
to watch the match, or a delicious glass of frosé.
For
us, the purpose it served was simply one more pub ticked off the
list.
Pub:
The Norton (337 Meadowhead, S8 7UP)
Rating:
4.5/10
Beer:
Coors Light
Brewery: Molson Coors Brewing Company (based in
Golden, USA)
NEXT UP: Election day, at Cobden View...
NEXT UP: Election day, at Cobden View...
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