Pub 31, Day 11 – The Cavendish

By Rob
 
The Quest for the 50p Pool Table 

Volume One: The Fellowship of the 50p Pool Table 

This blog is the first in a trilogy of posts. Together, they detail our epic search for a 50p pool table and all the adventures along the way.

***

After our visit to The Beehive, our long term ethanol-infused excursion underwent a bit of a slowdown. Andy, having successfully secured himself a job in Sheffield, was busy attending to all those details that accompany a relocation, thus finding himself without the requisite spare time for Pubquest.

The months rolled by, the year changed, and we finally arrived at February 2015 - the year that Andy returned to his homeland. The journey was back on.

Now that we were endeavouring to continue our pool marathon, we decided it would be a good idea to hone our skills on the baize. Neither of us wanted to embarrass ourselves on a table in some ropey back-alley tavern, while irritated regulars looked on in disgust. Nobody wanted a repeat of the events at the The Red Lion.

Alas, there was a problem. Pubquest was morphing into a pricey affair. Travel expenses aside, the cumulative cost of all those pints was far from negligible. Then, throw in the additional expenditure of playing pool, and the money mounts up. As a student, I didn't need to find extra ways to spend what little money I didn't actually have.

Thus began our quest. A quest-within-a-quest, if you will. We would hunt down that most elusive of beasts: a pub, in the city centre, that charged 50p for a game of pool.

The first place we tried was The Cavendish, on West Street. For anybody who has ever set foot inside The Cavendish, no doubt the question that immediately springs to mind is whether or not it is actually a pub.

A similar conundrum to that encountered upon visiting West Street Live, there were good arguments for both sides. However, the place is owned by Stonegate Pubs. It's also listed on Google as a pub and, as our uncodified, self-imposed rules state: if there exists any reasonable doubt about the status of the establishment then we must assume it's a pub and treat it as such.

Inside, it's easy to see why somebody might label it otherwise. The bar stretches for a considerable length along the far wall and there are drinks offers aplenty, most of which gently suggest this not a very 'pubbish' sort of pub.

Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I really like The Cavendish. It's nicely decorated inside with a variety of seating areas and the drink prices are very reasonable considering its central location. It's always lively at the weekend and does an impressive trade most weekdays too.

As for the ales, there's a reliable stream of guest ales on tap that makes it an ideal stop for us. We each bought a pint of Pride of Sheffield, an enjoyable malty ale with an unashamedly local name.

Waiting for a vacant pool table, we sat ourselves down. Minutes into this, we saw that some guys across from us were giving us a strange look: confusion mingled with mild disgust.

We then noticed that one of our pints was full, while the other was significantly less so. We'd been drinking from the same glass. It turns out that there's something oddly perverse and unsettling about seeing two grown men drink continually from the same pint. Wanting to look a little less grossly codependent, we quickly amended our error.

When a pool table became available we leapt up with our characteristic vim and vigour. Unfortunately, it cost one full English pound per game. That's not to bash The Cavendish, as pretty much everywhere charges a pound.

Undeterred from our goal, we played four frames, drawing at two each. We then headed out into the cold bite of midwinter to continue the search for our quarry. 

Cavendish Pool Score: Andy 2-2 Rob

Pubquest Pool Score: Andy 7-3 Rob

Pub: The Cavendish (220-238 West Street, S1 4EU)
Pint: Pride of Sheffield
Brewery: Kelham Island Brewery (Sheffield)
Rating: 8/10

NEXT UP: The quest continues, at The Graduate...