The lovely old bar soon arriving at platform 1B…
WAITING on platform 1B of Sheffield rail station, Jamie Hawksworth and Jon Holdsworth were attracted to a lovely old building behind them.
"We thought this would make a great place for a bar," said Jamie who, with Jon, already ran a company importing beer from the Czech Republic and had just opened a caf bar in York.
"We pushed our heads to the glass and looked through and found there was a bar already in there. We stood there thinking this should be a bar and it is…"
Their train of thought picked up speed to an extent that the two men – both from Sheffield – are now preparing to open The Sheffield Tap in December.
It's been a long and often difficult and frustrating process but work is well under way on restoring the grade II listed building with its ornate ceiling, original tiles and mahogany bar.
Jamie and Jon have only been able to press ahead with the 200,000 project thanks to a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust.
However, they say the results will be worth waiting for – a lovingly restored bar with at least 300 different types of bottle beers and 20 draught beers, including eight real ales.
"We are looking to put back what was always there," said Jamie. "The idea is that it is the tap bar for Sheffield."
The original refreshment rooms date from 1904 when they were a resting place for first class passengers. There was also a snug and a dining room.
In 1975 the building became a station waiting room, then it was used for storage. "It was at least six feet deep in rubbish when we took it over. The ceiling had collapsed. It was in a sorry state."
It's the bar and snug that are initially being refurbished, with the dining room earmarked for a possible second phase of "a nice restaurant or something along those lines".
For the time being Jamie and Jon are aiming to create something akin to a Belgian beer caf, with entertainment such as acoustic and jazz nights on Thursdays.
They are directors of Pivovar Ltd, the only UK importer of Bernard beer from the Czech Republic, and owners of the Pivo caf in York, which also involved restoring a listed building.
At Sheffield station they have secured a lease in a deal with Network Rail and East Midlands Trains.
Finding the money was a struggle for the small private company, with no access to public funds.
Nobody wanted to invest, despite the project "ticking all the boxes" – a new business, creating employment and boosting regeneration.
"Everybody wants this to happen but it's only us making it happen," said Jamie. "It is very frustrating but we are all set. There is so much energy after all this time. It's exciting. I have got the bruises on my finger from picking up hammers when I shouldn't have done! It's going to be gorgeous when it's finished."
Some of the beers for the bar, which will have an entrance from Sheaf Street and the platform, are being supplied by Thornbridge Brewery.
Alex Buchanan, Thornbridge marketing manager, said: "When Jamie mentioned the possibility of reopening the station bar at Sheffield we were really interested and when we saw it and the possibilities of creating a real landmark bar we talked more and more.
"As a speciality beer bar it will really be somewhere special and it will be a great showcase for our cask beer and bottles. Sheffield deserves a gateway bar."
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Weather for Sheffield
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
