Nestled into a courtyard hub of emerging indie businesses, just off Bramhall Lane, is a brand-new cocktail bar with a bold vision. Side A is the latest addition to Stag Works, the old rehearsal space of local legends like Arctic Monkeys and Def Leppard, promising quality drinks and eats in what is shaping up to be one of Sheffield’s coolest spots just outside of the city centre.
Side A launched with a weekend extravaganza back in August. When it came to opening the doors just days after moving in, founder James Tabor’s attitude was simply, ‘let’s just do it’. There’s plenty of time to get things looking perfect, but in the meantime, visitors can enjoy a pint and a bite in a relaxed spot that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
“We got the keys on the Tuesday, and the first match day was on the Saturday,” James explained. “I thought, you know what, just give some cheap beer away and see what happens, and we did have quite a lot of people turn up. We did some silly stuff – we gave away the first 50 beers for 50p and then blew a whistle when it was done, and then the next 50 were one pound, and then one pound 50, so that was quite fun.”
James has racked up a stellar portfolio of business ventures and nationwide projects over the years. You might know him as the brains behind Slap & Pickle, one of Sheffield’s favourite burger providers offering good pub grub at Neepsend’s The Old Workshop and Banner Cross’s The Dark Horse.
Side A is his latest and most exciting idea for fans of quick, fuss-free bites and proper cocktails. Their barbecued arrosticini – classic Italian meat skewers made for sharing – served up with flatbreads and dips are already a big hit, and their menu is sure to grow and change as the venue evolves.
They’ve got a whole host of new events on the schedule, including a ‘Brunch Mayhem’ afternoon on Saturday 19 September hosted by Sheffield’s infamous Drag Queen, Bipolar Abdul. Visitors can look forward to bottomless drinks, including an enormous sharing cocktail wheeled to tables in a pimped-up mop bucket. Expect audience participation and bonkers behaviour, with tickets available via the Side A website.
“Hospitality, for me, is about having fun – people don’t laugh enough. I want people to go home thinking, my sides are splitting because I’ve been laughing my ass off,” said James. “If they’ve had a good day they’ll have a great night, and if they’re having a shit day, we want them to leave thinking, my day’s not ended up so bad.”
For United football fans, the Stag Works location is perfect for a pre- or post-match pint. “We’ll look after them, give them plenty of cold beer and a decent barbecue and burgers, and an environment where their kids can come,” said James.
“The dream is that it’s date night friendly, it’s an inclusive space for everybody. It’s a place that you can go where you’re always going to get a smile and a drink, and on the odd night you might just be there when some bonkers magic happens.”
But the new bar isn’t doing everything alone. There’s a whole community starting to emerge at Stag Works, and James is eager to build bonds with other indie businesses, coming up with new ways to make the area one of Sheffield’s coolest hotspots for food, drinks and entertainment of all kinds.
“The bigger picture for me is Stag Works and John Street becoming a bit of a hub and a new destination,” he said. “You’ve got Sketch by Norse around the corner, you’ve got Zephyr’s and Rita’s bakery inside the courtyard, and inside Stag Works there’s music and recording studios, fashion designers … there’s just so much cool stuff going on there. It’s really under sold and it just needs to be known.”
“If you get everyone collaborating, everybody pushes each other up. We’re reaching out to people who potentially would have been competitors and coming up with ideas together.”
There are big music dreams for the venue too, with a vinyl rotation from every genre soundtracking the nights, and a full DJ programme to be ironed out in the not-too-distant future.
“I want it to look and feel like a cosy cocktail bar, but after dark the music gets louder and people get dancing.”
James has big ambitions for the bar and the future of the Stag Works community. While it’s still in its early stages, there’s plenty of fun to be had already, but watch this space for all kinds of new and exciting updates!
“Whatever happens, there’ll be good vibes every single time you walk in the place. Whether there’s a playlist on a Monday night, or it’s a full-on Saturday night ticketed event, the vibes will be right.”Side A is currently open on match days, Fridays and Saturdays. There are sure to be plenty of changes on the way, so stay tuned via @sideasheff on Instagram.
