Pub 167, Day 61 – Centre Spot

Ever since writing a blog about The Sherwood a few years back, my youngest sister – Reanna – has badgered, bullied, bribed, and blackmailed me into letting her write another guest post. Since I’m generous by nature, and as her original foray into the world of Pubquest wasn’t a complete disastrophe, I’ve graciously allowed her to write the following post.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as she, undoubtedly, did writing it.

***

By Reanna

It was late August and we (I) had spent all day arranging our dad’s surprise 60th birthday party, which we were holding in the function room of the Centre Spot pub, in Base Green. There, at the buffet table, while he cut up cold pizza with scissors in a deliberately messy fashion, Robert thought to himself, I know what tonight should really be about: Pubquest!

Selfish as he is, when Robert told me of his plan, I was shocked. But it was then, as I was going blue from blowing up balloons, that Andrew Wilson arrived. Together, they proceeded to overshadow our dad’s surprise 60th birthday party with constant references to their blog that nobody reads, making all of our guests extremely uncomfortable.

Later, once they had ruined the party, they threatened me with plastic knives from the cheeseboard and told me that I had to write this blogpost, or else they would make me eat the squashed grapes off the dancefloor. Helpless, I agreed.

Now, I want to begin my review by saying that the Centre Spot is, by far, the best pub in Sheffield. I would also like to say that I have been a barmaid there for over a year (this does not mean that I am biased). I began working there in March of 2019, a couple of months after the pub reopened under new management. The locals, the landlady, and my fellow barmaids have become a strange sort of second family and I can recommend nowhere in Sheffield more highly.

There is no place quite like the Centre Spot. Sure, from the outside it looks like your typical estate pub. The pub is a 1950s building, with a large function room, a taproom with a 50p pool table, and a kids' room around the back. It has a big car park and plenty of seating outside for those rare days of sunshine.

But it is the sense of community and the friendly, open atmosphere that makes the pub so special. The bar staff, I must say, are exceptional. The landlady, Lynzi, is a woman like no other. Upon arrival, you will be instantly welcomed into the Centre Spot family by both the staff and the locals. The pints are perfect and a game of pool is rarely turned down, although you’ll probably lose to Lynzi.

The pub had been closed for around 18 months until the owners of the nearby, and previously reviewed New Inn decided to take it on. The whole pub has been given a new lease of life and is once again the heart of the Base Green community. With beer at a good price, sport on the TV, monthly open mic nights, pool tournaments, and a gin selection to rival most pubs, you need never be bored or thirsty at the Centre Spot. 

So regardless of what the “official” Pubquest rating is, I would like to award my own personal rating of 100/10 for the Centre Spot pub. It has the best beer, the best barmaids, the best landlady, and the best barstools in Sheffield, if not the world. 

***

What is it with guest bloggers thinking they can award their own scores? Give them an inch, they take a mile.

Pub: Centre Spot (56 Jaunty Lane, S12 3DN)

Rating: 6.5/10

Pint: Birra Moretti

Brewery: Birra Moretti (based in Udine, Italy)

NEXT UP: Collaborating with 'Beer, There & Everywhere', at The Alma...

Pub 166, Day 60 – Guzzle Micropub

By Rob

Having finished up at the Cross Scythes, we looked to visit one more place on our way back across Sheffield. We opted for Guzzle Micropub in Woodseats. Having heard good things about its beer selection, and it being on the route of return, it was the ideal stop.

I’m probably a bit fonder than Andy is of these miniaturised boozers. While I accept that full-size pubs are better, and they remain my preferred drinking environment, the micropub can universally be guaranteed to sell a good selection of never-before-seen craft beers. The Itchy Pig, for instance, was often low on space and available seats, but was unrivalled in Broomhill for the range of beers on offer.

The exact same was true of Guzzle. The table we secured was the only one available in an otherwise crowded, reasonably confined space. Like the Pig and The Bar Stewards, it sported a minimalist, modern vibe. It also, like its fellow tiny taverns, sold a great range of ales.

We ordered two pints of Mark’s Lager & Lime. From Welbeck Abbey Brewery, it was another excellent choice for the hot summer weather. Light, crisp, with an unmistakeable citrus zing, it proved to be a thirst-quenching delight.

At this point, it occurred to me and Andy that we had, finally, ticked off all of the pubs in Woodseats. When news of this reached those seated around us, the entire room burst into applause, whoops, and cheers. The barman, wiping away tears, declared the next round to be on the house. I was fending off hordes of admirers when Barend, looking at a map on his phone, interjected.

“Have you guys been to somewhere called the Ale House?"

We hadn’t.

Mortified, we apologised to everyone for the false alarm. Eventually, the crowds calmed and people returned to their seats. We too would have to return, to Woodseats, to finish the job.

Pub: Guzzle Micropub (843 Chesterfield Road, S8 0SQ)

Rating: 8/10

Pint: Mark’s Lager & Lime

Brewery: Welbeck Abbey Brewery (Welbeck, Nottinghamshire)

NEXT UP: A surprise party, at the Centre Spot...

Pub 165, Day 60 – Cross Scythes

Our guest bloggers are coming thick and fast now! Hot on the heels of Barend’s debut, we have everyone’s favourite Lebanese homebrewer / temporary Broomhill neighbour of mine: Ramez.

Strap yourselves in, as we leave London Road and walk the familiar ground of Woodseats.

***

By Ramez

Greetings and salutations.

Months and months ago, the nice people from Pubquest invited a few of us to join them on an adventure in what was yet uncharted territory for me, a non-Sheffielder who had no idea what Pubquest was. It has been nine months since we visited this pub according to Google Maps’ unprompted stalking, and the reason I am writing this post so late is that I will be leaving the UK soon, or else it would have been much later. (I may have also promised Rob I would do it a while ago, and I did not want Barend of pub #164 fame to out-guest me.)

For someone who was discovering the lovely world of British breweries and wanting to try as many beers as possible before moving away, I jumped at the opportunity. This led me to the Cross Scythes in Woodseats (again, uncharted territory), and it has been a journey of discovery: Pubquest, Andy, Woodseats, the pub, what has become one of my favourite beers, and the game of bar billiards. Discovery is beautiful.

As we arrived at the Cross Scythes, a familiar logo caught my eye: it was a Thornbridge Brewery pub.

T’was going to be a good day.

We were greeted by a function room and a few side rooms, one of which caught our collective eye. Tucked in a corner next to a dartboard was a seldom seem object: a bar billiards table. Inspired by a French/Belgian game of Russian origins, it found its fame in the UK. It is vaguely similar to regular billiards, but played on a smaller table (and is arguably more entertaining.)

The room is conveniently served by one side of the main bar, and what a bar it was. Served by friendly staff who knew their beers and were happy to talk about them, it was filled with delicious ales of many different styles and flavours. Some examples were a Kolsch ale/lager hybrid, a strawberry ice cream porter, a farmhouse ale, and the beauty that is Thornbridge’s Green Mountain – a hazy Vermont-style session beer perfect for a nice summer day.

Do yourself a favour and try it.

I also appreciate the fact that it had a few options of keg beer, which is always a plus, given the tendency of Sheffield pubs to relegate nice beer to cask, while devoting their kegs to the Carlings and Stellas of the world. So, you can enjoy some decent cask beers and, while you’re at it, try a few kegs – despite their higher price, they have so much more to offer... After all, life is a journey of discovery.

Overall, good stuff inside. The Cross Scythes is a brilliant pub with fun entertainment and excellent beer, continuously pouring new and exciting beverages along with beloved staples.

Alas, with a heavy heart and a few beers still untasted, it was time to leave for the second stop in Woodseats. I will never forget you, Green Mountain. I hope one day our paths will cross again.

P.S. They did.

Cross Scythes bar billiards score: Andy 0-1 Rob
Pubquest bar billiards score: Andy 0-1 Rob

***

Apparently there was some miscommunication between the team at Pubquest HQ and our guest blogger, Ramez (which is surprising given he lives next door.) It seems we failed to explain that the rating, as always, is entered jointly by Andy and Rob – even for the guest blogs. As such, Ramez has provided his own details below. Please read and then immediately discount them; scour them from your mind, as if they never existed at all.

The official information can be found further below. As you will notice, the two are drastically different.

Ramez’s rating and pint:

Pub: The Cross Scythes (145-147 Derbyshire Lane, S8 9EQ)

Rating: 8/10

Pint: Green Mountain

Brewery: Thornbridge Brewery (Bakewell)

Rob and Andy’s rating and pint:

Pub: The Cross Scythes (145-147 Derbyshire Lane, S8 9EQ)

Rating: 8/10

Pint: Strawberry Lucaria

Brewery: Thornbridge Brewery (Bakewell)

NEXT UP: Lager & lime, at Guzzle Micropub...

Pub 164, Day 60 – The Beer Engine

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Leavers and Remainers, please put your hands together for our latest guest blogger: Barend.

Of Dutch extraction, he’s trying to get as many pubs under his belt as possible (before the free movement of people ends and he’s hauled off to his parents' windmill in the back of a Home Office van.)

Please, enjoy.

***

By Barend

It’s about a year ago now that the hosts of Pubquest, Rob and Andy, graciously invited me to tag along on one of their adventures. Despite having moved to Sheffield from Belgium – a veritable pub and beer heaven – I was merely a student in the trappings of the taproom. So naturally, I could not pass up the opportunity to watch two experts hone their craft.

But the student becomes the master, and when Rob recently reminded me that I still had not finished last year’s review – practically begging me for my input – it must have been in recognition of the great strides I had made. After a year in and out of Sheffield’s finest pubs, drinking the best and the worst, the connoisseurs are dying to showcase my opinion alongside their own.

This brings us back to The Beer Engine, a laidback pub in the London Road area. Veterans of the Sheffield pub scene will know that The Beer Engine has been around for several decades (operating under various names), although not much of the old pub remains since Tom Harrington bought it in 2015. An alumnus of Thornbridge Brewery, Tom knows his beers – and it shows in the great selection of craft beers on tap. Indeed, it’s not without reason that The Beer Engine was recently listed among the top beer pubs in Sheffield.

The beer that caught our eye was Mannenliefde, an award-winning saison by the Oedipus brewery based in Amsterdam. “Mannenliefde” literally means “love between men,” and I think Rob and Andy will agree that its refreshing hints of lemongrass drew the three of us closer together. Not appealing was its price, because ordering three pints set Andy back a whopping 24 pounds. (Would he have offered to buy this round had he looked at the price list first? We’ll never know.)

Still, Mannenliefde was an excellent drink for a sunny afternoon, made even better by the fact that we could enjoy it in The Beer Engine’s spacious beer garden. With a canopy offering shade and plenty of greenery, the beer garden is an oasis of peace drawing in locals, students, and intoxicated pub reviewers alike. It’s easy to forget that both Sheffield’s busy ring road and London Road are right around the corner.

While its beer garden is a hidden gem, The Beer Engine’s interior is not my style. Eager to rebrand itself as a modern craft beer pub and shed its previous image, The Beer Engine has embraced a slick, clean look that is a little too clinical to my liking. Shades of white alternate with shades of grey, and even its hardwood floor and furniture is too light for that classic pub look and feel – perhaps a sign that the neighbourhood is gentrifying, or (more likely) that I’m getting old.

All things considered, The Beer Engine is one of the better pubs I have come across in Sheffield, and easily one of my favourites. Between its stellar roster of beers on the rotating tap and its top-notch outside seating area, there’s plenty here to enjoy. I’m only sad that we didn’t get to try the pub’s renowned tapas menu. But Rob and Andy are unrelenting – the quest is calling, our taxi has been ordered, and we must be on our way to Woodseats for the last two pubs of the day.

Pub: The Beer Engine (17 Cemetery Road, S11 8FJ)

Rating: 8/10

Pint: Mannenliefde

Brewery: Oedipus Brewing (Amsterdam)

NEXT UP: Playing bar billiards, at the Cross Scythes... 

Pub 163, Day 60 – The Hanover

By Rob

It was a hot, sunny day and Andy was in Sheffield. The inevitable happened.

Before setting off, we decided to check if there was someone we could invite/drag along. After the spectacular success of Ashley’s American post, we thought another international guest writer was just what the blog, and its two lazy authors, needed. As luck would have it, my friend Barend answered the call. A Dutch PhD student with a love of beer and a flare for creative writing, he was the perfect candidate.

We’d already decided which pub to tick off first. Somehow, bizarrely, The Hanover had escaped our notice for years. Despite having lived in walking distance of this place since Pubquest began, it wasn’t until the summer of 2018 that I first spied the pub from the main road as I drove by. Given its proximity to my residence at Broomhill, it got the wheelchair-at-Alton-Towers treatment: jumping straight to the front of the queue.

We met Barend just outside the pub, which looked pretty unimpressive – seemingly built into the corner of a residential property, as if someone had decided to turn over their kitchen and living room to public use. It wasn’t much better inside, with one dark and carpeted room and another brighter, but more austere, room on the opposite side of the central bar.

We opted for the latter room, partly because we didn’t want to sit in darkness on such a nice day, and partly to avoid the massive speakers blasting out reggae music at dancefloor level volume (at 2pm in the afternoon, in an empty pub). Not only was our room quieter, but it also housed a pool table, darts board, and washing machine – the classic games room trio.

Eyeing up the fairly limited beer selection, we were delighted to spot ‘The Hanover Pilsner’ on cask. All deliberations were ended as the Shepley Rule mandated our order, and we each tried the refreshingly light, crisp pilsner. On a hot summer’s day, it was precisely what the doctor ordered.

Naturally, we had a quick game of pool, followed by a thoroughly enjoyable and closely fought darts match. Sadly, we never got the chance to have a go on the washing machine.

Overall, we weren’t immensely impressed by The Hanover, but still had a great time.

Hanover pool score: Pubquest 1-0 Rest of World
Pubquest pool score: Pubquest 7-2 Rest of World

Hanover darts score: Andy 1-0 Rob
Pubquest darts score: Andy 1-1 Rob

Pub: The Hanover (2 Clarke Street, S10 2BS)

Rating: 5/10

Pint: The Hanover Pilsner

Brewery: Homebrew

NEXT UP: Love between men, at The Beer Engine... 

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...