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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
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Detail Pages
The Hillsborough Hotel, Sheffield
Sheffield
S6 2UB
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
Enjoyed our visit yesterday to this popular real ale bar, Well worth a visit to check the selection on the bar. We enjoyed beers from Beatnitz, North Riding and Blue Bee breweries.
On 31st March 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
This is a brick built pub/ hotel with its own on site brewery on the tram route from Sheffield City Centre going northwards to either Malin Bridge or Middlewood.
It’s a former Gilmours Windsor Ales pub called The Wellington as evidence by the etched windows and signage over the door.
The interior is a rather featureless opened out bare boards and chunky wooden chairs and tables affair with a rather spartan and cold feel to it. There’s one or two old photographs and brewery mirrors, but no real effort to create a characterful and interesting interior and the overall feel is a bit like sitting in an old railway station waiting room.
Despite a number of organised events ( eg – Big Jim’s Quiz on Thursdays, Folk Nights on Sundays ) , there’s never been any pubby atmosphere or feeling that you’re in a community or local pub whenever I’ve been in.
There’s a conservatory at the back and a few seats outside which afford a fine view of part of the Don Valley, although there’s a rather large and unsightly large Aldi supermarket ( formerly a Mecca Bingo Hall ) about the size of an aircraft hangar to contend with.
A small bar counter just inside the door as you go in doubles up as the hotel reception ( there’s 6 rooms for Bed and Breakfast )
Following a change of ownership in 2012, on site brewing is now carried out in the name of Wood Street Brewery ( formerly Crown Brewery ).
On my recent evening visit , 4 Wood Street Brewery beers were available supplemented by 4 guests, ( 3 from Ramsbury and 1 from Double Top ). The pub is in the 2014 CAMRA Good Beer Guide, but the WSB beers sampled by me seemed uninspiring and rather bland and I’d be inclined to go for one of the guest beers next time. These change regularly, but there’s an obvious emphasis on local micros and you’re quite likely to find something unfamiliar
Finally, do note that, despite the name, the pub is not particularly close to the football ground, which is a couple of stops away on the tram. It does however provide a convenient place for an overnight B & B stay for long suffering southern based Wednesdayites, in which category, I’m afraid I must count myself,
On 13th May 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
On a recent visit the beers available on the eight hand pumps were nearly all from Wood Street brewery, with two from Black Country brewery. This is a family run hotel and I know several people who have stayed here and enjoyed themselves. It's not a favourite of mine, as it doesn't have the pub atmosphere of other pubs in the neighbourhood, such as the Firwood or Florist in Walkley, or the Masons Arms just along the road. The advantage it has over those, of course, is good real ale, and many visitors to the Valley of Beer would count this as a worthwhile stop on their pilgrimage. As a venue for a quiet drink or a chat, though, I find it uncomfortable, with its chunky wooden tables and chairs more suitable for dining, and the tinny modern pop music blaring out from the radio more suitable for younger ears than mine.
On 26th January 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
Top-of-the-range place - excellent beer from eight handpumps (with their own ales brewed in the cellar under the Wood Street name, plus guests such as Partners Shoddy Porter on my latest visit), food at very reasonable prices and value-for-money accommodation. Small bar area, with the larger side room regularly hosting live music, and a conservatory at the back as a dining area. Not stayed there for a few years, but glad to go back.
On 9th November 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
Nice enough pub with a rear patio which I enjoyed in the sunshine.Un-impressed with the Wood St beers.Friendly banter with a couple of locals helped make it a good visit.
On 13th September 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
We were in the Hillsborough last month and had no issues with the Wood Street beers. Both the Gold and the Loblolly beers were fine. We were back in Shefield for a wander round on Friday and had Derby Copper Rocker and Magpie Zigger Zagger, and they were fine too. It is still worthy of inclusion of any crawl round the city pubs.
On 11th November 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
The new owners of the Hillsborough have renamed the brewery Wood Street Brewery (after the street which runs along the side of the pub). I had a half of the 4.0% bitter when I called in tonight, and I have to say I was not impressed. The former Crown Brewery had some good ales, and I don't know what has been done about recipes and equipment when the pub and brewery changed hands, but this is not the quality I was used to under the previous ownership. Added to which, there was a strong smell of fried food, probably fishcakes, when I was there tonight. I went and sat out on the patio but the extractor fan from the kitchen must be pumping the fumes out there, as I could not escape the smell. I hope things improve, because this has been a fine pub in recent years and had a deserved place in the Valley of Beer crawl.
On 3rd August 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
Located a fair way out of the city centre, but still easily reached by taking a tram to the Langsett Road/Primrose Hill stop, this is a cracking little pub which also houses the Crown brewery. The entrance takes you into the compact main bar with a mosaic floor and a few tables with comfy chairs. The short bar counter is on the right hand wall and also acts as the hotel reception, with access to the hotel through a door next to the servery. The room extends to the rear where there is a pleasant conservatory and small raised outdoor area with a few benches. The conservatory and patio afford decent views over the valley as far as the ski slope on the other side. There is one other room on the left hand side of the pub, which has wooden flooring and a couple of sofas but is mainly arranged for dining and doubles up as the breakfast room for the hotel’s residents. There’s a TV screen on one wall, although I didn’t notice it switched on during my visit. A few football fans were enjoying a drink when I arrived prior to the afternoon’s game at Hillsborough, but the pub was a lot quieter than those closer to the ground. I actually stayed in the hotel for one night and thought the room was good value and found the staff very friendly and helpful.
There were four beers from the house brewery available during my stay – Crown HPA, Loxley Gold, Traditional Bitter and Samuel Berry – as well as four guests which included Milton Minotaur and Gundog Red Setter. I thought the HPA was a cracking pint and would be keen to sample some more of the house brews the next time I visit. The keg range included Erdinger, Lindiboom and Pheasant Plucker Cider.
It’s a very simple pub but it does everything very well and I enjoyed my time here both at the bar and as a resident of the hotel. There are plenty of pubs in Sheffield that I would be keen to revisit and this place would be up near the top of the list.
On 13th April 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
Great beer pub with the added advantage of rooms to let! 8 of us bunked down between saturday and Sunday sessions in adequate no fuss accommodation. Breakfast is cooked to order and you can get a beer with it. Nice outdoor seating as well as a conservatory for the rainy days. Great selection of brews and more in the cellar. Can't imagine it has changed since our visit at the end of July 2011.
On 5th January 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Hillsborough Hotel
The Hillsborough Hotel is in the neepsend area of Sheffield and fairly close to a tram stop,this pub used to be called the Wellington and it was a Tetley tied house.
The pub now has a brewery on its site and i had a drink of Crown bitter and this was a very nice drink there were about four more real ales on the bar that i noticed.
I sat at the front of the pub which was very quiet and i thought the seating was a bit uncomfortable but the beer was very nice.
On 5th February 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]