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New Barrack Tavern, Sheffield
Hillsborough
Postal town: Sheffield
S6 2GA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about New Barrack Tavern
The New Barrack Tavern is a pub that I've been meaning to get to for a while. Situated on a busy road through Hillsborough, it has both an impressive exterior and interior. There are multiple rooms including a small room to the left as you enter, a large room to the right and just off the main bar area and two further rooms to the rear, one billed as a cider room.
Opening times are fairly limited here. Whilst they are open most of the weekend, throughout the week, they only open on 4 evenings. Speaking to the humorous landlady and landlord, it seems that they have suffered more than most throughout Covid and trade has not got back to pre-pandemic levels. Hence, the reduced opening hours.
The bar area itself is certainly impressive. So is the ale and cider selection. Regular cask ales are Bradfield Farmers Bitter (billed as Barrack Bitter) & Castle Rock Harvest Pale & Screech Owl. Guests were Castle Rock Oatmeal Stout, Clearwater Revival & Pheasantry Black Pheasant. Ciders were Seacider Blood Orange & Hardcore, Aston Manor Friel's First Press Vintage, Sandford Orchards Devon Scrumpy, Snail's Bank Appley Dapply & Pig Squeal & Thistly Cross Whisky Cask. Craft beers were Vocation Heart & Soul, Castle Rock Session, Uiltje Trackdown & Beavertown Gamma Ray.
I do hope this pub continues to survive. Architecturally, it was the best of the 12 Sheffield pubs we tried on this crawl.
On 1st February 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about New Barrack Tavern
Interesting pub with an Art Deco façade and a Camra regional inventory interior. Didn't manage to explore the various rooms, but the curved counter in the lobby bar is quite impressive, as is the range of real ales and ciders on offer. I went for a quick Bradfield's Barrack Bitter (which I took to be, in effect, a house beer), but I must make an effort to make a proper return visit.
On 6th April 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about New Barrack Tavern
I've been making this part of my usual circuit in recent weeks - having a bus pass makes it a bit easier to get to, though it's also not a bad walk from my place via Blake Hotel, Queens Ground, New Barrack, then Gardeners Rest and/or Wellington. They always have a dark beer on these days, and told me that they do better for stouts, porters and milds than a lot of pubs this side of town. I've had a couple of Ashover beers - their Damson Porter is so much more subtle than the frequently seen Titanic Plum Porter, which is too sweet for me - and on another occasion when table service was still in operation Steph predicted to Kev behind the bar what I would be ordering: Rudgate Ruby Mild. Friendly staff and excellent beer.
On 30th July 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about New Barrack Tavern
One of the first pubs I frequented when I first moved to Sheffield, as I worked nearby and lived not much further away in those days. Latterly I only call in once or twice a year on average, but still have a soft spot for the place. The beer range was a little limited I felt on my recent visit, with four from Castle Rock, three from Bradfield and just one from Roosters for variety. (There are also three ciders on hand pump, though I think there are others available and listed behind the bar.) It was quiet in the main part of the pub once everyone had been served, as most had disappeared to the comedy gig that was taking place in the back - this is once a month, apparently. There's also live music most weeks, and it gets pretty busy here on those Saturdays (or Wednesdays?) when the Owls are at home. I was interested in a display of old photos of the pub, showing what it was like before being rebuilt in 1930.
On 7th July 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about New Barrack Tavern
On a dual carriageway section of the A61 going northwards towards Hillsborough is The New Barrack Tavern, a fine multi roomed traditional pub that is part of the Tynemill Pub Group. There has been a pub on this site for over 150 years now – indeed the pub was used as a mortuary during the famous Sheffield flood of 1864. The current building on the site dates back to the 1930’s and has a rather austere looking tiled brick exterior with a bit of an Art Deco look. Some etched windows and the entrance reveal that, in days long gone, this was a former Gilmours Windsor Ales pub. It was evidently also a multi roomed pub – note the “Billiards Room “ etched window.
There’s a small cosy tap room on the left, which always appears underused, with most customers seemingly favouring the larger main bar area. It’s a traditionally furnished large room with bare boards and a fine collection of brewery posters and mirrors decorating the walls. At the front of this room, by the windows, a small raised area acts as a stage for the regular music events, for which the pub is well known. Posters dotted around advertise the various events – eg Friday night is Northern Soul Night which, we are told, is “for dancers only”.
A corridor, the walls of which are adorned with old Wednesday football programmes and related memorabilia on one side and music posters on the other, leads to a further smaller room behind and a pleasant outside walled seating area at the back where we see a number of old enamel signs advertising, by way of example, the delights of Magnet Ales and Ind Coope Burton Ales.
Being a Tynemill Pub, there’s the usual Castle Rock Beers available, including Harvest Pale, Preservation and Elsie Mo’s, but the 11 handpumps also offer a good selection of the usual local micros ( eg Acorn and Bradfield ) with, on my most recent visit, Bradfield Plum Ale going down pretty well. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular.
Large blackboards above the bar tell you what is on, which include quite an extensive selection of foreign bottled beers. One corner of the bar servery is now described as “Craft Ales Corner” where, should you, for some unaccountable reason, feel like drinking something trendy and overpriced, several tall fonts offer you the opportunity to do so. On my latest visit, before the last home game of the season, for example, I could have sampled a 5.5% lager called Doggie Style from Maryland USA, but for this “priviledge”, I would have had to stump up £ 2.70p for a half pint. My experience is that, generally speaking, Northerners have not been taken in by all this craft beer nonsense, which appears to be a typically London led initiative and, on my visits to the NBT, sales of the Castle Rock real ales clearly dominate, particularly the Harvest Pale ( £ 2.60p for a whole pint )
The pub is well patronised by Wednesday fans, both pre and post match and service from the young friendly staff is always first rate, in my experience. Pleasingly, even at busy times, the staff will make first time visitors aware of the Castle Rock “one over the eight“ promotion. The pub is also home to supporters of Sheffield Eagles Rugby League Club, who play at nearby Owlerton.
This is another pub well worth seeking out, but note that it doesn’t open until 5pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.
On 27th May 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about New Barrack Tavern
The New Barrack Tavern has a fairly unprepossessing location, nestled in between various large retail outlets on the busy Penistone Road. However, this should not distract from what is an outstanding traditional pub run by the excellent Castle Rock brewery. The current pub dates back to 1936 and replaces at least two other pubs of the same name – the Hillsborough Barracks being just a short walk away. Anyone interested in the pub’s history will be pleased to hear that the current owners have been researching its past and are collating their findings on an ‘archive wall’ which can be found in the public bar.
On entering the pub, the bar is to the left of the mosaic floored room which has a couple of high stools but is otherwise used for vertical drinking. You can admire a large collection of awards the pub has won over the years before retiring to one of the three other rooms for somewhere to sit. The largest of these is a wooden floored room opposite the bar which has banquette and low stool seating as well as a stage for live music which was being promoted throughout the pub. A number of old beer adverts were displayed on the walls and a huge Castle Rock mirror hangs above the fireplace. The public bar is at the front left of the pub and was the quietest place in the pub when I visited. It’s a compact little room with access to the bar and, on my visit, a number of barrels were racked up on stilage in the middle of the room as part of what I assume was a beer festival, although there were no signs pointing to this and only one person ordered one of these beers during my whole stay. A bar billiards table had been moved out to accommodate these beers and the room also has a dartboard. The final room is towards the back of the pub and is something of a cramped affair with as much seating squeezed in as possible making it all pretty cosy. A corridor, with a number of beer related picture riddles on the walls, leads out to a very pleasant garden with lots of picnic benches, a couple of shelters and lots of old metallic beer signs.
Putting the ‘festival’ beers aside, the normal line up was pretty special on its own. Ales on the bar were Castle Rock Harvest Pale and Screech Owl, Bradfield Farmers Bitter and Acorn Barnsley Bitter, all of which are regulars, plus Prescott Seasons Best Stout, Holden’s Temple of Love, Three Tuns XXX, Gates Reservoir Premium and Bristol Beer Factory Seven. Moles Black Rat Cider was also on handpull and the keg range included the likes of Sagres, Erdinger, Timmermans Strawberry Beer, Marston’s Oyster Stout, Bitburger and Stowford Press Cider. A strong bottled beer range topped things off and all of the options are detailed on a huge blackboard to the left of the main bar. The usual Castle Rock ‘One over the 8’ promotions apply.
I thought it was difficult to find fault with this place and seriously considered shortening my ‘Valley of Beer’ crawl in order to enjoy a few more pints in here. This pub doesn’t seem to get the same amount of attention as a lot of its peers, but to my mind it holds its own against anything else the city has to offer. Outstanding.
On 14th April 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about New Barrack Tavern
Another 2011 Good Beer Guide pub worth visiting when doing the Sheffield crawl. It is a short walk downhill from the tram lines, and a Castle Rock house with guests, We chose Castle Rock Screech Owl a favourite at 5.5%, and a new one for us Cowslip, their spring beer. Both were excellent. They have a good food menu here too.
On 21st April 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about New Barrack Tavern
This pub is a Castle Rock tied house on the very busy pennistone road.
This is a three roomed pub and there is a very good choice of beers on here with a couple from Castle Rock and the others are from micro brewerys i had a drink of Harvest Pale which was very good as usuall,i car'nt remember a lot more about this pub as it was the last of the day.
I would definitly visit this pub again when in the hillsbourough area.
On 18th November 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about New Barrack Tavern
A fine old pub with an attractive 'solid' frontage and an interior that has gratifyingly remained unspoilt by ‘progress’ within. Three rooms surround the servery and are well-decorated with brewery mirrors and other beer-related nik-naks. The lovely curved bar holds up to ten ales, with Castle Rock predominating (this is a Tynemill house). There are also a number of high-end keg beers as well as a good bottled selection. Westons cider and perry also available. The beers I tried here were on great form and gratifyingly cheap. A dartboard is available and there’s a tidy paved garden area to the rear. This feels like a proper pub experience and is well-worth the tram ride. In a city choc-full of great pubs, this one stands out and is in my top three.
On 4th September 2010
- rating: 10
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about New Barrack Tavern
I can't believe I'm the first to review this long standing GBG regular, especially as it's part of the "Valley Of Beer" pub crawl. As you enter there's a small snug to the left with the bar facing you. There's a room to the right with a small stage where they have regular live music. Another room further along was set up for dining on Saturday afternoon with menus on all the tables. There are 11 handpumps. As this is a Tynemill pub two or three are given over to Castle Rock beers with the rest being from mainly Yorkshire micros. I had an Acorn Englands Dreaming and Ms CAMRA had a Castle Rock Harvest Pale, both were excellent, although my pint left me feeling thirsty due to the dryness of the taste. At the rear is an excellent beer patio, with old signs and creepers all around the walls. There's also a couple of bird feeders that means we were regularly visited by a selection of small birds. It's a fine pub and well worth the short detour between the Rawson Spring and the Hillborough Hotel.
On 29th June 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]