The Richmond Hotel: New managers prepare to reopen huge Sheffield pub after £180k makeover

The new managers taking over one of Sheffield's biggest pubs are preparing to reopen in time for Christmas.

It is two years since the Richmond Hotel, on Richmond Road, Richmond, closed back in November 2021.

Now Eloise Burden and her husband Chris have stepped in to reopen the pub, owned by the Stonegate Group, which has undergone a £180,000 makeover.

They get the keys next week and are set to welcome back punters from Friday, December 1.

Speaking to The Star, Eloise said she and Chris were excited to restore the pub to the heart of the community.

When is The Richmond Hotel reopening and what events will it host?

"We've run town centre pubs in the past but we wanted to be part of a community and get to know the people and give them the chance to get to know us," she said.

"It's their pub after all and we're looking to find out what they want from their pub when it comes to events and activities.

"We're planning to have something on every weekend, including live music, discos, karaoke and quizzes."

Eloise told how she and Chris have around 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, mostly in hotels and restaurants before they bravely took on their first pub together during the Covid pandemic.

They have run three pubs before, in East Anglia and North Wales, with Eloise explaining how they had been so successful that the pub company had moved them to different pubs which were failing so they could boost the turnover and improve the venue's reputation.

Will children and dogs be allowed, and what drinks will be served?

Eloise was born in Heeley and still has family in Sheffield, and she said she was excited to return to the city.

"The Richmond Hotel has been closed for a couple of years and this is like a new start, with a new landlady and landlord, and new staff. It looks amazing inside after the refurbishment," she said.

"It has to be for everybody. I want everyone to feel safe and welcome here, whether it's the little old man who's nursing his pint of John Smith's for three hours or a young group on a big night out."

Eloise and Chris plan to open for a few hours on Christmas Day and to have some kind of New Year's Eve party, though the details are yet to be finalised.

The Richmond Hotel will be a wet-led pub, with no food available beyond snacks like crisps and nuts. It will be child and dog-friendly and will serve a range of lagers, alongside some wines and spirits. Although there will be no pumped ales, there may be some bottled ales available.