The Sheaf Island (JD Wetherspoon), Sheffield

solid typical Wetherspoons, very spacious and open and fairly sedate although this was quite early in the day, midweek. Good range of beer including a chocolate stout. A pretty standard experience, it needs a touch of TLC in places though and some of the menus were filthy.

Located just outside the central ring road, this is a sizeable, open plan Wetherspoons pub built on the site of the former Sheaf Brewery, once the home of Wards Brewing Company – a fact marked today by an arch next to the pub. This place is very much out of the typical ‘Spoons mould, set in a shallow but wide room which has been carpeted for the most part and has a servery along the mid-section of the rear wall. High tables and stools run through the front-centre of the room under the large windows that look out to the decent sized front patio seating area outside. Two somewhat cosier seating spaces can be found to either side, with the one on the right offering regular tables and chairs under large display cabinets full of ornaments and a larger section to the left in a plainer, more opened out space. The bar has a long, dark wood counter split by a large pillar, plus a typical ‘Spoons bar back with a great pub mirror. Above the bar is arguably the pub’s standout feature – a large mural depicting an industrial scene with a giant cog-wheel clock incorporated into the design. Some nice bits of contemporary art adorn the walls and TV screens were showing the day’s news with subtitles. There are ten handpulls here, half of which were taken up with regular ‘Spoons beers, whilst one more was out of action, leaving four guest ales for me to choose from. I ended up with a pint of Chantry Full Moon – a bargain at £1.99 I thought, but clearly on its way out, as it could hardly be described as in good condition. The bar staff here were arguably the best I’ve encountered in any Wetherspoon – one very helpful chap reeled off the full ale range for me, saving me from having to walk down to the other end of the bar to inspect all the hand pumps! It’s nice that the old brewery site still has some beer-related representation in the form of this pub, but I have to say that were it not for the lovely staff, this one would’ve ranked as one of my least favourite branches. Maybe I caught it at the wrong time, or maybe visiting a Wetherspoons after drinking in some of Sheffield’s top alehouses means it was always onto a loser, but I can’t see me coming back to this one in the future.

Called in twice last week at the beginning and end of a pub crawl down Eccleshall Road. Our first visit was just after 12 and all the tables were cleared and it was fairly quiet. Friendly service from the bar staff and a reasonable selection of guest ales available. Called in again around 4 when it was much busier, but once again all the tables were clear. We decided to eat here and the bar service was very good, despite it being busy. The food arrived quickly and was as good as it gets in a JDW. Quite impressed really and probably the best run JDW in Sheffield at the moment having visited the others during our few days in the city.

The Sheaf Island is built on the redeveloped site of the Wards Brewery where a few yards away the original entrance arch still stands. It consists of a wide carpeted room with typical fixtures and fittings. It wasn't all that busy mid Thursday evening. The bar has ten hand pumps which had two available soon, the JDW Trio Of Doom with Doom Bore doubled, Milestone French Cockerel & Lock Prop and Barrel, Hightown Brown Lion and Partner's 6 Nations. It was annoying to see as many as three Rugby themed beers as these things are invariably rubbish and Milestone seem to have produced one for all six nations. I went for their French Cockerel which was as poor a beer as expected so resorted to the Sixpoint cans. I thought this JDW was OK so it's a shame about the themed beers.

Modern, elongated bar with a high ceiling. Small front patio seating area. Reasonable real ale selection from ten handpumps, including the Stone Supremely Self-conscious Black Ale (£2.15). Busy and very loud when I visited, so I didn't really take to the place.

The Sheaf Island is a very large Spoons that is on the busy ecclesall road. Once inside there is one very long room that runs the width of the pub,the bar faces,the seating is the normal Spoons layout,with tall tables and stools near the bar and normal tables and chairs elsewhere,there were a few leather settes to the left and a bench seat to the rear left. There are very tall windows which give great views of the ecclesall road traffic whizzing by. There was a good choice of beers on the bar,i had a drink of Chantry Steelos which was a very nice drink,the other beers that i noted were Acorn Black Oak,Bradfield Farmers Blond,Beer Studio Dark Oddessy,Doom Bar,Ruddles best,there were other micro beers which i failed to note. The pub had a nice laid back feel to it on my early morning visit. I quite liked this Spoons,but i could'nt help but think of the old Wards brewery which used to be here,i know which i would prefer to be here. Pub visited 19/4/2014

A fairly typical JDW in the new buildings that occupy the site of the former Ward's brewery. There are tables under a canopy beside the main road - if the cigarettes don't get you the car exhaust will. Inside it's the usual tall spacious room you'd expect from a JDW, with a couple of pillars quite close to the bar and two banks of hand pumps as well as the usual fonts. The service was efficient but I'm told that it can be overwhelmed at busy periods. The beer was served too cold, but soon reached a drinkable temperature. For my first pint I had a Bateman's XB, which was surprisingly almost devoid of taste, but the Brakspears Triple which I had next was spot on, a really excellent beer.