Cllr Ben Miskell with the Thornbridge & Co team at the site. Credit: SCC

Thornbridge deal provides leisure boost for Fargate

30 July 2024 09:44 Neil Tague Comments (0)

Sheffield’s main retail pitch is to welcome a new venue created by the brewer’s joint venture with Pivovar, a partnership already responsible for destinations in Leeds and York.

The new venue, the Fargate, will sit just across from Sheffield Town Hall and sits within plans to improve both the retail & leisure offer in the area and the public realm.

Thornbridge & Co is a joint venture between Derbyshire brewer Thornbridge and beer importer Pivovar. Operating since 2018, it runs three well-regarded pubs: The Market Cat in York, The Bankers Cat in Leeds and The Colmore in Birmingham.

Director Jamie Hawksworth explained “The Fargate is going to be one of Sheffield’s most prominent pubs with over £1m of investment being made on the new bespoke interior.

Hawksworth added: “We think it will be a great boost to the great work all ready been made to make the city centre great again.”

Work is expected to start on the fit-out later this year with an opening date yet to be announced.

Fargate as a whole is the main part of a £15.8m improvement programme funded by the Future High Streets Fund, focusing on improving the quality of public spaces, and other interventions such as the Event Central social hub and the Front Door programme to make more of upper floors.

Thornbridge said it has been working with Sheffield City Council for more than a year on site selection and then working together to make sure outdoor seating could be offered.

Cllr Ben Miskell, chair of the transport, regeneration and climate policy committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “The Fargate will breathe new life into a beautiful building across from the Town Hall and will fit in brilliantly alongside the many new shops, offices and other hospitality venues that are opening up throughout the city centre.

“The addition of outdoor seating, made possible thanks to the improvements to the surrounding area, along with the bespoke interior will add The Fargate to the list of must-visit places within Sheffield.”

Thornbridge, launched in 2005, now sells beer all over the UK and into 40 different countries internationally. Pivovar was established in 2003 as a specialist beer importer, and also operates pubs nationally.