A brand new ‘exclusive’ gin bar is coming to Sheffield’s popular Ecclesall Road, with the owners Will and James promising an “unapologetically high end” venue in Society.
Moving into the venue which was occupied by Nourish at 412 Ecclesall Road, Society is a dream come true for owner Will Sykes. “It’s always been a dream for me to open my own bar,” Will explains. “Me and my business partner James Beech are totally new to the industry, but we’ve always been big fans of the classy and upmarket bar scene. We’re from a corporate and sales background, and we’ve both quit high paying jobs to put our all into this. It’s gong to be somewhere we’d want to go and drink in ourselves.”
So, the ‘exclusive’ tagline? “It’s going to be a small venue with around 40 people capacity. We looked a few units, one in Kelham Island in 2018 but we were knocked back for that one. We were gutted but looking back, it was a blessing in disguise. It’s more of an indie vibe there and it’s a more volatile market than Eccy Road – people know what they’re going to get when they go out down here.”
“It’s the perfect bar for our image and what we’re about,” James adds. “It’s something born out of passion and we’re going to give our all into it.”
The owners aren’t just about gin, though. “We’re trying to serve the perfect gin and tonic but we’ll have draft beers and bottled beers too – we’re not ostracising anyone.”
Work should be completed on Society’s bar fit out, but a couple of set backs meant that the doors are opening later than they anticipated. “We’ve had numerous delays and knock backs but everything is looking toward a Valentine’s Day opening.”
Head over to Society’s Facebook page or check out the Instagram page here for updates as the bar heads towards opening night.
421 Ecclesall Road, S11 8PG // societybar.uk