Fat Cat

23 Alma Street
Kelham Island
Sheffield: Kelham Island
S3 8SA

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Opening Times

12-11 Mon-Thu; 12-Midnight Fri & Sat; 12-11 Sun

Meal Times

12-3, 6-8 Mon-Fri; 12-7 Sat; 12-3 Sun

Owner

--individual--

About the Pub

Opened in 1981, this is the pub that started the real ale revolution in the Kelham Island area. Beers from around the country are served alongside those from the adjacent Kelham Island Brewery. Vegetarian and gluten-free dishes feature on the menu (food 12-3 and 6-8 Monday - Friday; 12-7 Saturday; 12-3 Sunday). The walls are covered with many awards presented to the pub and brewery. In June 2018, local artist Matt Cockayne, spend three days painting a mural on the outside corner wall. Beer festivals are held every August and at various other times. Monday is curry and quiz night.

Historic Interest

The Fat Cat is a little-altered and typically detailed example of a mid-C19th. pub and former hotel in, what was, an industrial quarter close to central Sheffield. It has an excellent original layout: two downstairs rooms, a small central bar, mosaic in the doorway and a terrazzo floor passageway. Opened in 1850 and originally known as The Kelham Tavern, the pub was renamed the Alma, in 1856, after the Battle of the Alma River (SW Crimea) on 20/09/1854. The combined forces of the British, French and Turks faced a Russian army of 33,600. The pub was taken over by Sheffield brewer, William Stones in 1912. A small entrance lobby with mosaic floor bearing the legend CANNON ALES, (c.1912) leads into a corridor with terrazzo floor leading to a room on the left and a doorway to the servery on right. The entrance lobby also leads to a room on the right. The bar was up-graded in 1981 from a formica-topped surface. The three-sided servery has a canopy including coloured glass over, and a clock under, a rounded pediment. The latter is believed to be a payment settling kiosk obtained from a Co-op butchers in Rotherham.The left hand-room has bench seating on most of the walls. The Victorian style fireplace with tiled base was installed in 1981. The right-hand room has a Victorian green tiled, cast iron and wood surround fireplace at the rear and has bench seating on the outside walls. A 1914 plan (James R.Wigfull for Messr's.Wm.Stones Ltd.) shows a pub layout which is similar to the current layout with three exceptions. 1914 has two entrances to the building: the current position and a second corner entrance. The current corner room is split into two rooms: a public bar which is only accessible from the corner entrance and a Smoke Room which is accessible from the central corridor. The bar has a rounded corner in the Public Bar. In addition, Cottages are indicated at the rear of the pub. 1914 has these changing into Scullery, Pantry and Coals. There is also an upstairs Club Room in the same position as to-days upstairs room. Plans approved in 1941 (Wigfull, Inott and Ridgeway, Sheffield) indicate that, with the removal of an internal wall, the corner Public Bar has extended into the Smoke Room and that the bar is squared off into the current layout. The corner entrance has also been removed. The pub became the Fat Cat on 29th.July 1981 when the building was bought, at auction, for £33,750 by Solicitor, Bruce Bentley and his business partner, Sheffield Polytechnic Economics Lecturer, Dave Wickett (1947-2012), becoming one of the first Real Ale Freehouses in the UK. In 1989, Dave bought out the share owned by Bruce. Opening day (21st.August) saw queues down the street. The Fat Cat is one of a number of pubs which was flooded in both the 1864 and 2007 Sheffield floods. A 1982 plan shows that the Scullery, Pantry and Coals have changed into an extended Gents, and a new Ladies W.C. and Stores. The Club Room is now Function Room. In addition, the Tap Room is now named No-smoking room, the first such facility to be available in Sheffield – in 1986, this fact was mentioned in the House of Commons by Bassetlaw MP Joe Ashton and therefore recorded in Hansard. Unfortunately, the pub is formally recorded as being on “Elmer Street.“

Regular Beers

This pub serves 3 regular beers.

Kelham Island Best Bitter
Kelham Island Pale Rider
Timothy Taylor Landlord

Changing Beers

This pub serves 8 changing beers.

Changing beers typically include:

Kelham Island - seasonal

8 Guest Beers.

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Features

Real Ale Available
Real Cider Available
LocAle Accredited
Kelham Island.
Beer Festivals
Important Historic Interior
Quiet Pub

Facilities

Disabled Access
Lunchtime Meals
Evening Meals
Pub Garden
Parking
Dog Friendly
Family Friendly
Events
Monday is curry and quiz night.
Function Room
Real Fire
Smoking Area

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Fat Cat

23 Alma Street
Kelham Island
Sheffield: Kelham Island
S3 8SA

Sat Nav Reference

53.388561, -1.471596

Transport

Close to Bus Routes
Close to Railway Station
Close to Metro

Nearby Bus Routes (< ½ mile)

57, 81, 82, 85

Nearby Station (1300m)

Sheffield

Nearby Metro (450m)

Shalesmoor

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