The Broadfield, Sheffield

It's now 10 years since I last reviewed the Broadfield, though I've probably been here on average about once a year. But this was my first visit since the Covid lockdowns, and I don't think much has changed. The right hand side is still divided into smaller areas which have been done up in a fashion reminiscent of old railway carriages; many hand pumps are still spread in small clumps around the horseshoe-shaped bar counter, with no consolidated list anywhere; the smell of fried fish still pervades the air; and most tables have four or more sets of cutlery. I think there may have been about six beers on, and I'm pretty sure they were all but one of them pale - I went for Acorn Gorlovka 6.0%, an old favourite that I hadn't seen for quite a while. The background music was particularly grungy, and eventually resolved itself into one of those live albums by Jimi Hendrix that would never have been released if he had not died at age 27. This was somewhat redeemed by the full length version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Creedence Clearwater Revival, which I adore, and it's probably the first time I've heard it in a pub. If I could be sure of hearing it again I'd be back tomorrow.

This is a large roadside pub on a main road leading from the city centre. The pub clearly used to have a two bar layout, with a porch offering etched glass doors into the Lounge or the Taproom, both of which now emerge into the same large, opened out room. The servery straddles the two former rooms with decent sized seating areas to either side. The lounge area seemed to be set up more for dining, including a rear section that seemed to be used as a formal restaurant area. This side of the pub is bare boarded and has a great many tables and chairs plus a few padded benches under exposed stone walls decorated with tasteful paintings, plain mirrors and enhanced by nicely refurbished fireplaces and a few bits of etched glasswork. The taproom is also bare boarded but has a number of large rugs which help to dampen down the noise a bit. Low stools serve small tables to the front of the room, with tables and chairs filling the main bulk of this spacious area, whilst some rather wonderful screened booths can be found down the right hand wall with smart banquettes and some attractive stained glass screens and doors. Contemporary art prints line the walls on this side of the pub, making it feel a bit more lively and vibrant than the lounge side. The bar has an angular U-shaped counter with dark wood tongue and groove panel frontage and a modern bar back necessitated by the room being knocked through. A few branded whiskey jugs hang from the gantry, which I thought was a pleasing touch. A door to the rear right leads out to a beer garden and the pub had old 70’s pop hits playing quietly in the background on my mid-week, early evening visit. Six handpulls offered Bad Seed Rule The Roost Espresso Stout, First Chop Hop, True North Blonde and a real cider, with the remaining tow pumps out of action. I gave the Hop a try and thought it was in good shape, worthy of the pub’s inclusion in the 2018 Good Beer Guide. I found the barman to be quite friendly and the locals seemed to have a good rapport with staff, making for quite a nice ambience in the taproom. This is a pretty good example of how to this sort of large, opened out roadside pub can be made attractive to a contemporary audience. I liked the clear separation of drinkers and diners and found the ale range to be interesting and well kept, which will no doubt reward repeat visits. There’s no getting past the fact that the pub has lost a bit of its character in being opened out, but there are still a number of interesting features to explore and I’d be pleased to call this place my local if I lived in the area.

The Broadfield official site - www.thebroadfield.com

The Broadfield official site - www.thebroadfield.com

It's a few years since I was here, and I'd noticed in passing that the facade had recently been completely changed. Apparently the pub is now in the same ownership as the York in nearby Broomhill, and the new acquisition has also been completely changed inside. On entering, there is an apparent choice between a lounge to the left and a taproom to the right, but in fact both doors open into the same large room, encompassing the whole pub. The bar is large and fairly centrally placed, and there has been an effort to break up the room into distinct areas. This has been most successful to the right, where a number of glazed partitions, apparently recycled from other locations, serve to screen off several small, cosy areas. There's a railway theme of sorts here, with light fittings and signs from waiting rooms, and luggage racks from pre-war carriages, with appropriate suitcases, presumably empty, lodged in or suspended from them. A few railway photos add to the theme, but not excessively so. On the bar are 10 hand pumps, two with cider and the remainder with mainly local beers. I had the Traditional Bitter from Crown Brewery, which was fine but a little pricey at £3 a pint; I got the feeling I was contributing towards the cost of the refurbishment. Some unusual and interesting music was playing at a reasonable volume and the atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming. This made a change from what I can recall of my previous visit, when the word "threatening" might well have appeared in my review, if I had written one.