“I’m the new landlord of Sheffield’s renovated Shepley Spitfire, and these are my plans for the pub”

The Shepley Spitfire, in Totley, re-opened last week after undergoing a stunning £360,000 refurbishment. Now with its new lease of life, The Star can reveal the plans for events at the pub for everyone in the community.

Gary Marshall, originally from Chapeltown, is the new landlord of the Shepley Spitfire. His new gig also marks his return to the pubs industry after 14 years away, and he brings plenty of excitement for the future.

“When I was looking at pubs I didn’t think I would find one - it’s the same stress as buying a house. When this pub came up, I just jumped straight at the opportunity,” the 46-year-old said.

The opportunity came to take over the pub when Greene King added it to their Hive Franchise scheme which allows people to own their own pub with less risk. While Gary has managed other people’s pubs, this post is the first time he’s ever been responsible for paying his own staffs’ wages.

New plans for The Shepley Spitfire

With his new sense of freedom, Gary has unveiled a series of new events to bring to the pub, on Mickley Lane.

He said: “I’ve got so many plans. It’s always been a community pub, and that's something we want to expand on.”

Currently, Gary is planning a new weekly schedule of events, with additional events to take place each month. This will include a friendly pool tournament on a Wednesday, a quiz on a Thursday, ‘chase the ace’ on a Friday, and rock n’ roll bingo on a Saturday. 

In the warmer weather, the venue will also be hosting jam sessions in the garden where people can bring their instruments in.

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It will also welcome live music performances, as well as host friendship lunches with Music Makes Memories, where socially isolated people can eat a meal together.

Gary’s plans have grown from his own experiences of working behind the bar and managing premises. His first job in the industry was at his old local, the Coach and Horses, in Chapeltown, in 1994.

He said: “I started as a glass collector and then worked on the bar when I was old enough. It was just a part-time job while I was at college.

“It was when I started managing a bar at a small hotel in Oakham when I realised I’d got a career out of it. I wasn’t just doing it until I found something else, it’s actually what I’m doing.”

Gary lived in Oakham for 12 years while bringing up his daughter, before returning to Sheffield in 2010.

He added: “I love this city. In the years I was away, it just transformed and became a better and better place.”