The Fat Cat is known nationally for its quality real ales, traditional pub atmosphere and industrial setting in the heart of Kelham Island. The pub has a great mixture of young and old patrons, amazing beer and great food. We stopped in on our recent visit to Sheffield and were purring with excitement to try out a pint or two of Kelham Island’s finest. The pub’s Victorian exterior doesn’t quite match its rather 1970s lounge-bar interior, but it’s definitely an interesting place and Mum loved the cat art that featured both inside and out.
Originally called ‘The Alma’, the pub was bought from a large brewery in 1981 and reopened as The Fat Cat, where small independent breweries were given prominence as guest ales. This was a first for Sheffield and is still the philosophy of the pub. The original Kelham Island Brewery was built in the beer garden of The Fat Cat in 1990 and at the time was the first new independent brewery in Sheffield in almost 100 years. As demand increased, a new brewhouse was built just over the road. It’s now Sheffield’s oldest independent brewery still in production.
With the beer only having to make a less than 20 yard delivery trip, the pub serves the core Kelham Island beers such as Pale Rider – voted Supreme Champion Beer of Britain at The Great British Beer Festival 2004 – and this is what the humans decided to sample first. Dad isn’t a massive fan of cask beer though and having respectfully tried one of the local brews, he noticed they had wheat beer on tap, so they spent the rest of the afternoon drinking Schneider Weisse and Erdinger Dunkel… like you do in Sheffield!
From the side of the pub, you can see a mural of local legend Jarvis Cocker, the founder and frontman of the band Pulp. I’m sure Jarvis has partaken in a tipple there before now and the team would love for you to come join them for a pint… they’re sure they can find you something to drink that you will enjoy 😊