You might have already heard the fanfare, and numerous toilet puns, about Sheffield’s soon to be opened bar ‘Public’. With their project to transform Town Hall’s 19th century public loos into a bar making headlines, and Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders soundtracking their latest advert, this is one of the most hotly anticipated new venues to come to Sheffield this year.
James O’Hara and James Hill of The Rockingham Group, the entrepreneurs behind Picture House Social, have kept things under tight wraps so far with their cryptic promotions, but they’ve recently spilled some rather interesting beans on what’s to come…
Opening date
After previously only hinting at an opening date, O’Hara and Hill have confirmed that Public will go public this November, right in time for the party season.
The vibe
We knew from their Instagram posts featuring shakers and strainers that cocktails would be involved in a big way. The owners have confirmed it will be an intimate 40-seater “speakeasy style cocktail bar” located in the underground former gents toilets.
They intend the bar to be the “first of kind in Sheffield”, leading a growing trend for cocktail bars that go above and beyond the usual fare.
The menu(s)
Down to the important stuff – what will there be to drink (and eat)? Their menu will be made up of 25 cocktails, based on the tried and tested favourites of the team over the last seven years, and divided into five themed categories.
One theme “Public Footpath” will feature cocktails made with local ingredients, like gin-infused blackberries picked straight from the hedgerows of the Peak District.
And another theme “Public Awareness” will make recycling a whole lot more fun, using bar waste ingredients like citrus peel and unused coffee grounds from Steam Yard café to create sustainability-focused cocktails.
If you’re in need of a bite to eat, Public will also be serving up a seasonal menu of locally-sourced sharing and small plates.
Oh, and as if this all wasn’t quite local enough, the food will be served on ceramic plates made by local artist Franky Hague of Grey Suit Clay and the music will be provided by top-notch independent Sheffield store Bear Tree Records.
We would say check out their website, but as you can see it’s a little cryptic publicpublic.co.uk so best to watch their Twitter and Instagram pages for more to come.
