Pub 162, Day 59 – The White Lion

By Rob

Between The Sheaf View and Red Lion, we’d sank a few pints already. After vanquishing all before me on the snooker table, we headed over to The White Lion.

This is, without question, up there with the best pubs in the city. Trading as a public house since 1781, The White Lion has been serving excellent ales in great surroundings for almost two and a half centuries. From the exterior – with its green tiles, stained glass, and hanging plants – you’re impressed even before you enter.

Inside, the age of the pub is evident in the dark wooden walls and floors. There are a couple of smaller rooms at the front and a small snug that, if you’re lucky enough to secure, is like having your own private room. At the back of the pub, there’s a spacious area where the live music and bar billiards can be found.

The pub is locally renowned for the provision of (free) live music, while its 8 cask pumps ensure there’s always a great choice of beer on offer. On this occasion, we each ordered a pint of Rhubarb & Custard, from UnBarred Brewery. As you might have guessed, it was a rhubarb and custard flavoured pale ale (and pretty strong, at 5.7% abv). I was suspicious at first, but we were both pleasantly surprised by the flavour, which was entirely detectable without being overpowering.

As much as we loved the pub, the plan was to have one drink and leave quickly. We’d lingered too long at the previous stops and still needed to visit the nearby Crown before departing Heeley altogether. However, this meticulously constructed strategy soon fell to pieces when the bar staff announced the imminent commencement of a quiz. What could we do? It was hardly fair to Ashley, who was experiencing her first ever Pubquest, to pass up the opportunity of winning a quiz.

An hour later and alas, we had failed to win the quiz. It was now also too late to visit The Crown. In normal circumstances, this would have been a disaster. But spending time in The White Lion is always a joy, and we’d just guaranteed another Pubquest visit to Heeley.

Pub: The White Lion (615 London Road, S2 4HT)

Rating: 10/10

Pint: Rhubarb & Custard

Brewery: UnBarred Brewery (Brighton)

NEXT UP: Pool, darts, and a washing machine; at The Hanover...

Pub 161, Day 59 – Red Lion

By Ashley

It’s a big moment here at Pubquest HQ, as we introduce you – the beloved reader – to our first international blogger. Brace yourselves for a transatlantic masterpiece, as our American friend Ashley swaps her Bud Light, broncos, and lack of universal healthcare for the Heeley pub scene!

***

After months of training me on the ways of British binge drinking, Rob must have thought he had adequately increased my alcohol tolerance so that I would survive one of his and Andy’s famed Pubquest pub crawls. Either that, or he wanted an excuse to get an American girl drunk, to serve as comedic inspiration for his next blog post. No matter his exact motivation, I was curious enough to accept the invitation to join the prestigious ranks of Pubquest guest bloggers.

Pub after pub, some of us foreigners may struggle to drink each beer, but these two practised Brits stay true to their mission and finish their pint, whether or not it tastes like monkey snot. As a guest blogger, I am thankful I was not subject to those same rules. If you value a coherent blog, you'll be thankful too – I was struggling to stay upright by the end of the night, despite not finishing all my pints.

After garnering the history of Pubquest at The Sheaf View, the three of us headed to the Red Lion to experience Heeley’s version of this ubiquitous English pub. Though there weren’t many people in the pub at this time, Rob and Andy managed to run into old friends from school. (And Rob says I know too many people in Sheffield…)

This unexpected encounter showcased the friendly nature of the neighbourhood pub, which was a little shabbier than the surrounding venues, but was pleasant enough. Whatever the decor and beer selection, the snooker table was the highlight for me.

Being raised in the United States, this was my first snooker experience. My slight familiarity with the game of pool did not really come in handy when faced with this extra-large British billiards game. Rob and Andy did a fair job of explaining the game to me, yet I couldn’t compete with their snooker skills, and they both beat me. Nevertheless, I wasn’t quite set on leaving the Red Lion on this note. So, we played another game and I kicked their Sheffield asses. Just kidding! I wish.

Anyway, several games and too many beers later, this American lightweight was all snookered-out, in proper post-Pubquest fashion. Too bad we had another pub yet to go…

Red Lion Snooker Score: Andy 0-1 Rob

Pubquest Snooker Score: Andy 4-6 Rob

Pub: Red Lion (653 London Road, S2 4HT)

Rating: 5.5/10

Pint: Theakston Dark

Brewery: Theakston Brewery (Masham, North Yorkshire)

NEXT UP: Ten out of ten, at The White Lion...

Pub 160, Day 59 – The Sheaf View

By Rob

My American friend, Ashley, had been studying in Sheffield for almost a year and had heard lots about Pubquest. She had not yet, however, been along for the wild ride. Spying an opportunity to outsource another blog, Andy and I arranged to visit some pubs in Heeley with Ashley in tow.

We began at The Sheaf View, an eighteenth-century pub in spitting distance of Heeley City Farm. Having fallen into disuse and disrepair in the 20^th century, it was reopened and rebuilt in 1984 by the Pidgeon family (a human family, not the biological Columbidae family of pigeons and doves). Fortunately, Mr Pidgeon’s relatives included an engineer, architect, and soil expert – and the pub roared back into life (only to then falter once more and open, again, in 2000 as the free house we know today).

I’ve always been a huge fan of The Sheaf View on account of its wonderful old-fashioned look, excellent selection of real ales, and pleasant outdoor seating area. Ashley seemed reasonably impressed – it certainly exuded all the qualities one might expect of the stereotypical British pub. Lovers of standard bar staples, like Carling or Smiths, will be disappointed – there are no such offerings at the View. For people striving to drink a different pint in every Sheffield pub, however, it’s a dream come true.

Andy and I each ordered a pint of Monkey Gone to Heaven. From Totally Brewed, it was a banana and coconut cream ale, which I found to be a rather odd mix. It certainly wasn’t the best beer, but neither of us had tried it before (and given the extensive range of beers on offer, we knew we could always stay for an additional tipple).

The chances of that happening significantly increased once we found a free table on the sunlit decking area outdoors. We polished off the pales and each ordered whatever we fancied – I opted for a sour cherry beer, which was delicious.

Sitting there, in the sun, we remarked on how fantastic the Heeley pub scene is. Despite having waited six years to visit on Pubquest, we’d each been here many times with various people. A collection of good pubs all in easy walking distance, surrounded by shops, restaurants, takeaways, and gin bars – it offered something for everyone.

A highly recommended visit!

Pub: The Sheaf View (25 Gleadless Road, S2 3AA)

Rating: 9.5/10

Pint: Monkey Gone to Heaven

Brewery: Totally Brewed (Nottingham)

NEXT UP: An American learns snooker, at the Red Lion...