Deep fried ice cream and Human League inspiration - fans share their memories of former Sheffield restaurant Hanrahans as new plans submitted

Remember drinking cocktails at Hanrahan's in the 1990s?

Last year, councillors rejected plans to turn the site, also a former Loch Fyne seafood restaurant, on Glossop Road into apartments because of the lack of affordable housing.

Developers Primesite appealed and although the inspector was favourable towards the scheme, the appeal was refused. Now Primesite has resubmitted plans to convert the building into 18 units and to construct an extension with another nine units.

The news caused many former diners and workers of Hanrahans, which became one of the city’s most popular venues after opening in 1980, to recall their favourite times there.

The former Hanrahans and Loch Fyne Seafood Restaurant and Bar, Glossop Road, Sheffield

Francyne Johnson said: “Never forget Hanrahans alcohol free pina colada when I was a kid sat outside with my folks in the summer.”

Several diners have never forgotten the extremely rich desserts that the restaurant offered.

Sophie Williamson said: “It was my first job. Made the deep fried ice cream and Rocky Mountain desserts. Great memories.”

And Matt Tomlinson said: “Remember the massive kitchen sink dessert?”Others said it would be a ‘shame’ to see the site just turned into apartments, and alluded to a goldfish pond at the restaurant. Another remembered when it was briefly turned into a restaurant called Casa.

One person on Twitter, whose account is called The Bus to Crookes, said the restaurant had provided inspiration for Sheffield band Human League and that’s how they thought of the building even today.

They wrote: “The site of one of the Human League’s biggest selling songs, if the story told to every Sheffield student of my generation is true?”

Hanrahans was clearly a destination to celebrate good times, as others recalled.

Joanne Ferguson said: “Went there in 1987 with work to celebrate us hitting sales targets for the quarter. So Eighties!”

Hanrahans was one Sheffield's longest-established bars

And Hilda Marsh said: “Brilliant place. So sad to see it abandoned. Had so many good times in the 80s.”

The grade II listed building was originally a row of terraced houses dating back to the 1840s and falls within Hanover Conservation Area.

Significant alterations were made to the Hanrahans building in 1989 and in 2008 the ground floor became Loch Fyne.

The restaurant closed in February 2016 and the building has been vacant since.

Read our story on the newest plans here