Brown Bear Norfolk Street: Surprise as popular Sheffield pub closes but plans in place to reopen soon

The Brown Bear, on Norfolk Street, has been closed since earlier this month, after the previous landlord and lady left the post for another job – and worried drinkers arrived at the venue last week to find the doors locked and no sign of life.

One drinker told The Star: “I went down there on Thursday and found the pub was shut with a notice in the window. It’s a pub I like, because it’s quite unspoiled.”

The Brown Bear is one of the oldest pubs in the city centre, and the real ale pressure group CAMRA believes it dates back as far as the 1700s

Today the company which owns the venue, Samuel Smith Brewery, confirmed it had been closed following the departure of the couple who had previously run it. But they confirmed there were plans in place to re-open it.

They told The Star that they had now found someone who was interested in running it, and that they hoped to have them in place as soon as they had completed training.

Spokesman Christian Horton said: “There has been a general shortage of staff facing the industry since the Covid pandemic, but we have someone interested in The Brown Bear.

“It should be re-opening in about three weeks’ time, when they have finished their training. We think that should be round about the week commencing July 10.”

The pub will re-open as it is at present, with no changes inside the building planned. He said the previous manager had moved to a new post.

The landmark venue has been a grade II listed building since 1972, and CAMRA says there has been a pub on the site for over 200 years.

They said the Brown Bear was bought by Sheffield Corporation in the 1930s and survived the Sheffield blitz and planners in the 50s and 60s.

In 1981, when the lease was up for renewal, a stipulation was included that the character of the pub could not be altered. It was taken over by John Smiths who had been lease holders since 1955, and then by Samuel Smith.