CoffeeBeer >> Pint Pleasures >> Previous Beer Columns >> 2 Fulwood Road Pubs
|
|
Ranmoor Inn, 330 Fulwood Road, Ranmoor, Sheffield, South Yorkshire |
|
|
Fox and Duck, 227 Fulwood Road, Broomhill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire |
Once again, because of work and other busy commitments, I haven't had the time or opportunity to discover a new pub to write about. I know this is a tragic state of affairs, because Woman cannot live on familiar pubs alone! You only go around once in life, and your journey should be filled with new discoveries and experiences. So I promise I will change my ways before next month.
In the meantime I'll review a couple of pubs I've been to a few times throughout my 5-year stint in Sheffield. Both of these happen to be on the same long road but in completely different neighbourhoods.
One of the prettiest areas of Sheffield is Ranmoor, through which Fulwood Road passes midway on its journey from Fulwood to Broomhill. The name Ranmoor means "on the edge of the moors", and this wealthy part of Sheffield is rich in trees, hilly drives, and large stone houses. Globe-trotting Python Michael Palin was born here, and the Victorian-gothic Church of St John's, which burned down once, dates from the late 19th century.
Located on a quietly pleasant corner near the church, the Ranmoor Inn is an inviting place with a nice atmosphere, pretty windows, friendly bar staff, and good simple food. My first visit was a few years ago when a friend and I stopped in after a video project for a quick half. It was a winter afternoon and the atmosphere was very warming, and I wished I'd had the time to stay longer. On my most recent visit, when my mother was over from California, the cask ale selection featured Landlord, Deuchars, Adnams Broadside, and Black Sheep. Having stopped in for a meal, we started it off with pints of Landlord (4.3% ABV, Timothy Taylor & Co. Ltd., Keighley, West Yorkshire), which were very satisfying. I had sweet chilli cod and prawn fishcakes which were very good, and my mom's curly fries and Andrew's mushy peas were quite good as well. It was a busy Saturday lunchtime, and we were eventually joined in our alcove by the hungry members of a ladies' hockey team. There were quite a few regulars in attendance as well, of all ages. This seems like a good neighbourhood pub for the posh locals, with no posh emphasis at all.
At the eastern end of Fulwood Road is the student area of Broomhill. Located just before Fulwood Road becomes Whitham Road is the Dog and -- oops! I mean the Fox and Duck. Owned by the University of Sheffield Students' Union, this roomy pub always has several cask ales available at its long bar at reasonable prices. They don't serve food, but they provide cutlery and condiments and even a little dining area so you can bring your own food in. Although there are many take-away options in Broomhill, including several sandwich shops and a couple of pizza outlets, the most popular bring-in choice seems to be fish and chips from the nearby Broomhill Friary. My first visit to the Fox and Duck was when Andrew and I popped in for a lunch break on a busy shopping Saturday. A very professional young barman served our pints of Barnsley Bitter (3.8% ABV, Acorn Brewery, Wombwell, Barnsley, S Yorkshire). My smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich from one of the nearby delis went excellently with my pint, and Andrew's dessert of beignet-like doughnuts called for a strong coffee -- so a good robust coffeebeer like Barnsley Bitter stood in well. Although I named my website for the coffee and the beer columns I write, I'd say Barnsley Bitter could well be my logo -- what I would call a true coffeebeer: dark and coffeelike, although a bit cooler than an espresso.
Another time I stopped in for a quick half before a hair appointment. My half pint of Bluebell (4% ABV, Wentworth Brewery Ltd, Rotherham, S Yorkshire) was okay, but I realised I should have gone for the Barnsley Bitter again.
Earlier this year I stopped in with my workmates for a couple of pints. I had a pint of Archers IPA (4.2% ABV, Archers Ales Ltd, Swindon, Wiltshire), which was blandness in the extreme. But my Guinness drinking workmate Paul liked the colour, calling it "honey" as opposed to "dark tahini", which he'd just bought to try for the first time (and soon discovered he didn't like). Regardless of the aesthetics of the colour, this pint was very boring -- in fact I was having trouble staying awake to drink it, and even if it glowed in layers of neon green and orange and did bird impressions I doubt it would have made much of a difference. Why did I order it? I tasted my workmate Steve's pint of Deliverance (4.6% ABV, Milestone Brewing Co, Newark, Nottinghamshire) and thought it was much better, so I chose that for my second pint. It was an improvement on the first pint but still disappointing. I hope it was just these two beers, or perhaps they were both near the end of the cask. I do hope it's not the pub itself, because I'd like to think it's still a good place to stop in now and then.
| Ranmoor Inn Updates (Last updated 17 March 2012) |
Related Links