Pub 92, Day 35 – The Devonshire Cat

By Rob

It’s possible that, once upon a time, the people of Sheffield wondered why The Fat Cat was quite so fat. Why was this famous feline, who could be found nestled in the heart of Kelham Island, so obese?

The explanation for the moggy’s rotund shape was apparently revealed at the dawn of the new millennium. As it transpired, her considerable weight was not the result of one too many mice, or full-fat saucers of milk.

She was, in fact, pregnant.

The Fat Cat was to have a kitten, revealed the Sheffield Telegraph in 2000. The pub’s owner, David Wickett, was to open a new venture called The Devonshire Cat, which would be built into a student development on Wellington Street in the Devonshire Quarter. Like his other two boozers – The Fat Cat and Kelham Island Tavern – The Devonshire Cat would offer a range of quality beers.

The pub was later bought by Abbeydale Brewery in 2013, thankfully retaining its focus on real ale and quality spirits (whisky in particular).

Fast-forward to 2017 and, safe in the knowledge that we’d find a good beer selection in The Dev Cat, we decided to continue our Friday evening there.

Having both previously visited the pub (although not on Pubquest), we were not in the least surprised to be greeted by a lengthy row of unfamiliar pump clips. Faced with so many tantalising options, the burden of selecting the best beer was mercifully lifted from our shoulders, as our self-imposed rule of always ordering the house microbrew forced us to purchase two pints of Devonshire Cat Bitter.

The beer was great, very smooth and crisp: undoubtedly one of the better ‘in-house’ beers I’d tasted along our journey thus far.

While the beer selection was exactly as we’d remembered it, the pub itself had undergone something of a transformation since last we’d popped inside. The seating booths, cushioned upholstery, and carpeted flooring were all gone. Polished floorboards, long tables and wooden benches now ran the length of the interior. The bar had moved into the centre of the room, the walls were bare brick, and food was emerging from the kitchen atop granite, rectangular plates.

The place had gotten trendy.

I had to acknowledge that it all looked very cool, and I have no doubt that many people will applaud the sleek new appearance. For me, however, the change is not for the better. The Dev Cat, as was, had a certain warmth to it. It had managed to seem cosy, despite its spacious main room. Now it felt less like a pub and more like a bar.

For a guy who writes a blog called Pubquest, that can be no good thing.

The question of whether The Dev Cat continues to be a pub (they now call themselves a ‘beer bar’) is not one we can answer today.

The question of why The Fat Cat continues to be fat, despite having given birth, is also a mystery beyond our skill to unravel.

Pub: The Devonshire Cat (49 Wellington Street, S1 4HG)

Rating: 9/10

Pint: Devonshire Cat Bitter

Brewery: Abbeydale Brewery (Sheffield)

NEXT UP: Cowboy Keith returns, at The Grapes...