Brown Bear pub Sheffield: Historic Sheffield city centre local re-opens two months after closure

One of Sheffield's most historic city centre pubs has re-opened, two months after it closed last year.

The Brown Bear, on Norfolk Street, is thought to date back 200 years, but closed on December 11 last year.

But today, the popular venue has its doors open again, as a new couple took over the venue.

The Star visited the venue on Tuesday to meet the new landlord. It appeared to be busy during the early afternoon.

The new manager Ian Finnie confirmed he had taken over the running of the pub, with partner Carrolyne Cousins.

Ian said it was his first Sheffield city centre pub, although he had previously run the Ship Inn in Swinefleet, and the Thurbrook, in Thurcroft, in Rotherham.

He said he had planned to re-open for the first time on Monday, but in the end was able to open on Sunday, a day earlier than he had intended.

He said: "We're a Sam Smiths pub, so we'll be running in line with all the Sam Smiths policies. We've not been open again for long, but it's been good and there are a lot of different characters who come in here. There's all sorts of life comes in here, and they're a good bunch.

"We've only done Sunday and weekdays so far so we're gearing up for Friday and Saturday, as they're the busiest days. I've got some ideas for what I'd like to do in the future here, but that's for the future."

"But it's a Sam Smiths pub, and we will run it how the owners want it running, and we're hoping to be here for a long time."

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

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.