After taking home Best Bar at this year’s Exposed Awards – just twelve months after nabbing Best New Bar, no less – it would’ve been easy for The Old Shoe to coast on a wave of well-earned praise. But in typical style, co-owner Mike Pomranz isn’t interested in slowing down. Instead, the popular Orchard Square venue is channelling its momentum into a bigger stage: the city’s festival scene.
At the centre of this summer’s plans is the second ever Sheffield Wine Week (18–22 June), culminating in the debut of the Sheffield Wine Week Festival on 21 June – an outdoor celebration of all things vino taking place at Bole Hills in Crookes.
“Sheffield has never really had a wine festival,” Mike explains. “Certainly not one of this scale – and definitely not outdoors. So we’re confidently calling it the largest wine festival the city’s ever had. We’re trying to create a bit of community around it – something that feels like it belongs here.”
It marks a significant leap from last year’s Wine Week, which laid the foundations despite coming together at the last minute. This time, the ambition is clear, with Mike and Virginia Myers of Tenaya Wine leading the charge. The pair have brought together over 15 wine vendors – a mix of Sheffield bars, independent retailers, English wineries and intriguing importers.
“We’ve got everything from low-intervention Sicilian wines to North American bottles and some proper English producers like Renishaw and Hazel End,” says Mike. “The latter is actually due to a Sheffield uni student who came to us and asked if we could stock wine from his granddad’s vineyard. Stuff like that is fun. We’re not just selling wine – we’re sharing stories.”
The event promises more than just good wine. Inspired by community-led, California-style fairs, the festival will offer family-friendly activities, a stage with acoustic acts, food vendors – including a taco trailer nodding to the West Coast – and a focus on accessibility.
“We didn’t want to wall it all off with security and fencing,” Mike says. “It’s in a public park and we don’t want to mess with that too much. The area will be separated by bunting, you’ll get a wristband with your ticket and a reusable plastic stemless wine glass included. Then you’re free to explore.”
Once inside, visitors can expect a pay-as-you-go format, with many stalls offering free samples. There’s a strong push for education and engagement too, with local sommeliers on hand and plenty of chances to explore new tastes and food pairings.
Entertainment-wise, there’ll be a stage running until 8pm, headlined by Goldivox – a Sheffield-based disco-soul group perfect for a boogie. “It’s a full day, but not too long. We didn’t want to go overboard,” says Mike. “It’s the summer solstice too, so it’ll be light, atmospheric… fingers crossed, sunny.”
The Old Shoe’s recent accolades have provided both validation and a platform to push further. “The goal all along has been to be the best bar in the country,” Mike says. “It’s an ethereal idea – you’ll never truly get there. But that’s the point: you chase the thing you can’t quite reach. If you’re not part of that impossible chase, then what’s the point?”
And it doesn’t stop with wine. The Old Shoe Beer Festival returns on 16 August, with plans to expand across Orchard Square once again. While details are still under wraps, Mike promises more breweries, more curated selections and a bigger footprint.
“It’s not just about having drinks. It’s about having good drinks – great drinks. That’s what we do here at the Shoe – and we want to take that same mentality into the festival world.”
As the team hurtles towards this year’s flagship event, stress levels are high – but so is the passion. “I had a bit of a meltdown today,” Mike laughs. “But I’m genuinely passionate about this. Given the opportunity to follow my passions, I have a hard time saying no. And in Sheffield, I see a lot of opportunity for growth.”
Tickets for the Sheffield Wine Week Festival are on sale now, with early bird passes moving fast. With 1,000 attendees expected at Bole Hills and Mike and Virginia at the heart of it all, it’s set to become a landmark event in the city’s growing drinks culture.
Full details about Sheffield Wine Week, including tickets for the Wine Week Festival, are available at sheffieldwineweek.co.uk. For the latest updates, follow @sheffwineweek on Instagram.
